Due to the significant rise in groundwater levels during winter in the Cotswold Water Park area, a dam had been previously constructed around the garden’s perimeter to prevent flooding. The recently bought and renovated house, which included a new garage, planned to discharge rainwater from the roof into the ditch outside the property.

We were hired to resolve the issue of standing water on the lawn and waterlogging around some newly planted trees, which were suffering as a result. The main problem was that the dam, while effective at keeping external water out, left no escape route for rainwater that fell within the property.

Our solution involved two key steps:

Non-return Valve Installation: We fitted a non-return valve to the drainpipe discharging into the external ditch. This ensured that rising water levels in the ditch could not flow back into the garden.

Pump Chamber Installation: We installed a pump chamber to pump water from within the garden to outside the dam. The high water table presented a challenge, as the excavation for the 3-meter deep pump chamber would quickly fill with water. Daily pumping was required to keep the excavation dry. Additionally, the pump chamber had to be encased in concrete to prevent it from floating out of the ground when empty due to its buoyancy.

Once the pump chamber was in place, we redirected all surface water drains from around the house into it. This system has been effective and, with occasional servicing, continues to work well even 10 years later.