House Built Below Road Level

[SNGLIFE]

I (a friend, actually, but let's just use "I") had a house built and it turns out the house was built about 5-10 cm below the nearby road level. No water comes onto the property from the road. However, the entire surrounding area is very flat (the entire ~10 sq km area was once a lake basin long ago) and when it rains, water pretty much just sits. There are no drainage pipes to connect to and no way (that I can see) to make a slope to carry rainwater off the property. They attempted to create a pond, but it just fills up sooner or later. They sloped the land immediately surrounding the house, so the house does not flood, but the runoff just goes to other areas of the lot and pools there.

To give a visual, the property is currently landscaped sort of like a big rice paddy with low berms surrounding it to prevent water from adjacent property from coming onto my property and the house is at one end and raised a bit. The water pools mainly on the far end away from the house.

Any ideas how to get the rainwater off the property so it does not pool? Thanks in advance.

Edited June 19, 2010 by SNGLIFE

[Crossy]

You're going to have problems getting rid of the water, the phrase "the entire ~10 sq km area was once a lake basin long ago" is the give-away, the area wants to be a lake again.

How is drainage on the land outside the berms? Maybe you could arrange drainage through (or over with a pump) the berm at the lowest point and give someone else the benefit of the water (that's the Thai way, export the problem).

Else dig a big pond and use the water during the dry season to water the garden. If it's rice outside, you could pump your pond into the paddy when it's in flood.

[SNGLIFE]

How is drainage on the land outside the berms? Maybe you could arrange drainage through (or over with a pump) the berm at the lowest point and give someone else the benefit of the water (that's the Thai way, export the problem).

Else dig a big pond and use the water during the dry season to water the garden. If it's rice outside, you could pump your pond into the paddy when it's in flood.

The land outside the berms/pond is also flat. Further up the road, it actually goes up ~2-3 cm, but I am only guessing that because there is an old drainage ditch that won't "export the problem". Recently, farmer neighbors have pumped the water from the overflowing pond and over to their land, but that is not a long-term solution.

I also thought about the pump idea, but the pump would have to be installed at the pond which is 80 m or so away from the house. Do-able, but not very practical. The pump may walk away even if it is enclosed and locked.

Please keep the ideas coming.

Edited June 19, 2010 by SNGLIFE

[Artisi]

How is drainage on the land outside the berms? Maybe you could arrange drainage through (or over with a pump) the berm at the lowest point and give someone else the benefit of the water (that's the Thai way, export the problem).

Else dig a big pond and use the water during the dry season to water the garden. If it's rice outside, you could pump your pond into the paddy when it's in flood.

The land outside the berms/pond is also flat. Further up the road, it actually goes up ~2-3 cm, but I am only guessing that because there is an old drainage ditch that won't "export the problem". Recently, farmer neighbors have pumped the water from the overflowing pond and over to their land, but that is not a long-term solution.

I also thought about the pump idea, but the pump would have to be installed at the pond which is 80 m or so away from the house. Do-able, but not very practical. The pump may walk away even if it is enclosed and locked.

Please keep the ideas coming.

Have you thought of fish farming or water skiing?

[bkkbill]

Just how big is this house? My sister-in-law had her two year old two story house raised about a meter. New piles and concrete posts were installed. This wasn’t because of surrounding water but poor original foundations.

From what you describe this might be the only permanent plan.

[SNGLIFE]

Just how big is this house? My sister-in-law had her two year old two story house raised about a meter. New piles and concrete posts were installed. This wasn’t because of surrounding water but poor original foundations.

From what you describe this might be the only permanent plan.

It's 2 floors and about 300 sqm. How big was your sister's place? In Thailand? How much did it cost and how long did it take?

[SNGLIFE]

I think I may have figured out a solution. Essentially, install a basement sump-pump, except that it is outside the house.

Rather than sloping the rainwater to the pond area, send the water from the roof and immediately surrounding the house (say, ~10 m sides and rear) to a low point @10-13 m diagonally opposite the rear corner of the house. At this low point, there will be an in-ground tank made with 80-100 cm cement rings about 10 m deep. About 50 cm (?) off the bottom will be a submersible pump with a hose that will pump the water over a nearby berm where it can go on its merry way.

Surrounding the tank will be a ~20 cm buffer of stones (the size used to mix cement) surrounded by landscaping dirt filter material (you know, the black mesh material). In theory, during a storm, the water will collect at this low point, most sediment would be filtered by the mesh and stones, the water would seep down filling the tank from the bottom up, the pump would switch on and pump the water out and away as it rises.

Now, the problem with this is that any sort of sediment filter will eventually get clogged. I'm a little stumped on how to get around that. Any suggestions? Criticisms along with a solution(s) are also welcome. Thanks in advance.

Edited June 19, 2010 by SNGLIFE

[bkkbill]

Just how big is this house? My sister-in-law had her two year old two story house raised about a meter. New piles and concrete posts were installed. This wasn't because of surrounding water but poor original foundations.

From what you describe this might be the only permanent plan.

It's 2 floors and about 300 sqm. How big was your sister's place? In Thailand? How much did it cost and how long did it take?

Her place is about 200 SQM two floors and in Bangkok. The cost about 200,000. I think it was about three weeks to complete the job. They had to drive piles pour footings then ports. Quite a messy job.