Flooding & Drainage Solutions for Your Home & Yard Presented

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Flooding Drainage Solutions for Your Home Yard

• Presented by
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland County

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Overview

• What is a watershed?
• What is stormwater?
• MS4 -DEC regulations
• Things to look for around your home
  neighborhood
• Problems
• Solutions
• Questions?

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What is a watershed?

• AKA drainage basin
• It's the area of land that catches rain and snow
  and drains or seeps into a stream, river, lake,
  marsh or groundwater.

http//www.epa.gov/volunteer/fall94/wtrshd05.htm
http//www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/glossary/whatisaws
.html
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(No Transcript)
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What is stormwater?

• Rain or snow melt that does not
  percolate into the ground or evaporate.
• Runs off roads, yards, roofs and down gutters,
  travels into stormwater grates, eventually drains
  to a water body.
• Storm drains do not drain to sewage treatment
  plants! They drain to our creeks and rivers!!!

Photo credits - CWP, April 2004 workshop
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What is stormwater?
It carries pollutants into streams ponds!
Photo credits- LEAPE program
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Why should I be concerned?

• These pollutants can impair water quality for
  human use and harm aquatic organisms.

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Phase 2 - MS4-DEC Regulations

• Regulations are intended to reduce pollutants
• MS4 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems

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Phase 2 -- MS4-DEC Regulations

• Requirements for each MS4 municipality
• Implement a stormwater management program, which
  includes
• Public education outreach
• Public involvement participation
• Illicit discharge elimination
• Construction site runoff control
• Post-construction runoff control
• Pollution prevention good housekeeping

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Phase 2 -- MS4-DEC Regulations

• Keep abreast of your town or village planning
  development issues
• Get involved in your local planning stages to
  help prevent future flooding problems

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Things to look for around your home

• Do a physical assessment of home and yard
• Prevention see where water is moving
• Make a map of your home site

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Home assessment continued ...

• Go outside observe during a few rainstorms
• draw arrows showing the flow of water on your
  property
• how it flows off driveways, rooftops, sidewalks,
  yards, etc.
• does water soak into ground quickly or is it
  slow?
• does ponding of water occur?

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Encourage water to infiltrate into the
groundwater...

• Slow down the flow as much as possible on your
  property which will encourage water to infiltrate
  into the ground.

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Flood plain...

• Any flat or nearly flat lowland that borders a
  stream and that may be covered by its waters at
  flood stages
• Do you live in a flood plain?
• You will know because you will have flood
  insurance
• Flood plain maps available at County Planning
  Department (364-3434)

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Stream maintenance...

• Usually the responsibility of local government or
  private landowner
• unless it is a town, county, state or national
  protected waterway/wetland
• Remove woody vegetation and debris
• Need permit for dredging excavation
• See Routine Stream Maintenance brochure

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Preventing stream bank erosion using
bioengineering

• Willow waddles

Using live willow stalks to anchor in the waddles
A 30' waddle in place to be buried
http//www.mnnativelandscapes.com/pages/willow.htm
l
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Preventing stream bank erosion using
bioengineering

• Willow waddles
• As these bundles of willow grow, they diffuse
  water, catch sediment and help to restore the
  bank.

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Preventing stream bank erosion using
bioengineering
AFTER Restored banks were reinforced with
plantings and biodegradable erosion control
fabrics.
BEFORE Badly eroded banks
http//creativehabitatcorp.com/stream.html
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Sources of moisture...

• Rainwater and groundwater
• Ventilation with humid outside air
• Interior moisture sources

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Sources of moisture...

• Rainwater and groundwater
• Without proper grading, gutters, and downspouts,
  water may flow into basement.
• The below-grade water table can also rise due to
  flooding or seasonal site conditions.

http//www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housinga
ndclothing/components/7051-01.html
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Sources of moisture...

• Ventilation with humid outside air

http//www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housinga
ndclothing/components/7051-01.html
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Sources of moisture...

• Interior moisture sources

http//www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housinga
ndclothing/components/7051-01.html
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What should already be in place in your home...

• Footing drains or foundation drains

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What should already be in place in your home...

• Footing drains or foundation drains

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What may already be in place in your home...

• Sheet drains, protection boards

These may have been installed during
construction, more often on new homes
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Water in your basement?

• Usually due to
• Poor installation of footing drains when home was
  built
• Rain runoff flowing toward a house poor
  grading around foundation
• Malfunctioning /or old sump pump, gutters or
  footing drains
• High water table poor drainage system around
  foundation
• Clogged or broken footing drains
• Poor neighborhood/watershed/drainage planning
  and/or engineering
• Sanitary sewer back-up

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Water in your basement?

• Got mold?
• Mold ID information at our Diagnostic Lab
• See fact sheet on Mold control and clean-up
  basics

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Water in your basement?

• Danger of Electrocution
• Dont go in basement if there is an electrical
  problem
• Have a plan in place Put wood palates down
  ahead of time, to get to electrical panel or call
  O R to turn off electric and gas from outside.

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Water in your basement?

• Some tips
• Have back up generator for sump pump
• Wet appliances have service technician inspect
  before turning back on
• Fire Dept. does not pump out until water recedes

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Solutions for water in basement...

• Dehumidifier
• Install plastic well covers on basement windows
• Repair cracks and/or apply moisture barriers,
• Use hydraulic cement or other caulking material
  see manufacturers recommendations for each
  product.
• Sump pump
• Gutters downspouts
• Dry wells
• Slope away from foundation

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Solutions for water in basement...

• Moisture barriers
• Place on interior wall, or may have been placed
  with insulation when installed, or put on the
  outside of the foundation wall during
  construction of home.
• Moisture barriers come in a variety of materials.

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Solutions for water in basement...

• Moisture barriers
• Common vapor barriers used with insulation
  include plastic sheeting, foil sheeting, and
  paper that has been treated to achieve proper
  moisture resistance
• Waterproofing coatings and sealant

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Solutions for water in basement...

• Moisture barriers, sheet drains protection
  boards
• Examples of products
• Ames Elasto-Barrier, Vapor-Barrier and Block
  Wall. Ames Elasto-Barrier and Vapor-Barrier are
  rubberized elastomeric coatings for waterproofing
  walls and for sealing basements
• Radon Seal Penetrating Concrete Sealer -
  penetrates inside concrete (up to 4"), expands
  into pores and hardens
• AMERDRAIN sheet drain and protection board -
  installed next to the wall and slab intercepts
  (this is sometimes used in new construction of
  homes)
• collects ground water before it reaches the
  structure
• see fact sheet Moisture Protection Causes of
  Deterioration

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Solutions for water in basement...

• Sump Pumps

http//www.statefarm.com/consumer/vhouse/articles/
wetbsmnt.htm
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http//www.statefarm.com/consumer/vhouse/articles/
sumpump.htm
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http//www.statefarm.com/consumer/vhouse/articles/
sumpump.htm
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http//www.statefarm.com/consumer/vhouse/articles/
sumpump.htm
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Solutions Gutters

• Extend downspouts allow water to run overland
• Attach to an above- or under-ground catch basin
• Attach to a solid underground drainpipe to a dry
  well
• Keep gutters clean

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Solutions Gutters downspouts

• At least 4 feet away from the house
• Install a splash block and, if needed, gravel
• illustrations by Tom Moore

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No gutters? Better to have gutters, but...

• In houses without gutters, a drip line collection
  system will solve foundation leakage problems.

http//www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/print/0,17071,2280
10,00.html
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Solutions Dry wells
Dry wells can be used to receive water from roof
tops (gutters), driveways, or water-logged yards
http//www.lgpc.state.ny.us/DryWell.pdf
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Solutions Dry wells

• An in-ground, perforated tank that collects water
  and lets the water seep into the ground
• It should sit on a gravel bed, be surrounded by
  gravel and wrapped with landscape fabric that
  holds out silt.

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Solutions Dry wells
http//www.lgpc.state.ny.us/DryWell.pdf
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Solutions Dry wells

• Plastic dry wells can deal with small drainage
  problems
• Larger pre-cast concrete dry wells require
  machinery to be installed and handle larger
  quantities of water.

See extra fact sheet Standard for Dry Wells
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Can homeowner connect drain outlets to street
storm drains?

• Must talk to village or town engineer before
  doing so!!!
• Never connect to sewer lines!

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Solutions Rain barrels...
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Solutions Grading your soil

• Slope down, away from the house
• Grading over existing plant roots
• Soft after grading
• Keep soil from touching wood
• Where not possible, consider berms

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Solutions Terracing

• On steep slopes, create terraces

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Waterlogged yard?

• Low, waterlogged spots in the yard
• Regrade At least 1 inch of slope for every 5
  feet
• French drains, berms, raised beds

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Solutions French drain

• Sub-surface drainage
• French drains
• at the base of slopes
• along base of retaining walls
• any area where water collects
• Call landscape contractor for installation
• Check utility lines underground first

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Solutions French drain

• French drain can carry water away from wet parts
  of your yard.
• It is a perforated pipe and should be surrounded
  by gravel.

http//www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/print/0,17071,2280
10,00.html
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Again, get permission from village or town...

• French drains other pipe drainage
• You must check with village or town engineer,
  highway superintendent or environmental control
  to find best outlet for water.

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Solutions Waterlogged yards

• Re-direct surface water with swales
• shallow open trenches
• enough slope to prevent pond formation
• should lead to a
• dry well
• creek
• street
• wooded area
• drainage easement
• or the lowest corner of your yard

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Solutions Landscaping

• Grasses groundcovers
• Dont leave bare soil, especially in winter.
• Perennial/annual ryegrass - fastest grass
• Seed from late spring to October 1
• Groundcovers include
• Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
• Pachysandra
• Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
• English ivy (Hedera helix)
• Ribbon grass (Phalaris)
• Goutweed (Aegopodium)

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Dwarf white-striped bamboo (Pleioblastus
variegatus)
Can be invasive spreads 6 annually by
underground roots
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Solutions Landscaping

• Perennials that tolerate wet soil and prevent
  erosion
• Sedges (Carex)
• Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
• Japanese/Siberian iris
  (Iris sibirica, I. ensata)
• Swamp cabbage (Lysichitum species)
• Bee balm (Monarda didyma)
• See Guide to Plants Commonly Found in the
  Freshwater Wetlands of New York State

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Solutions Landscaping

• Shrubs that tolerate wet soil and
  prevent soil erosion
• Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
• Siberian dogwood (Cornus alba)
• Red/Gold Twig dogwood (Cornus sericea)
• Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
• Arborvitae (Thuja sp.)
• Cranberry viburnum
  (V. trilobum)

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Solutions Landscaping

• Trees that tolerate wet soil
• Shadbush (Amelanchier species)
• Sweetbay magnolia (M. virginiana)
• Red maple (Acer rubrum)
• River birch (Betula nigra Heritage)
• White spruce (Picea glauca - E)
• London plane tree
  (Platanus occidentalis)

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Solutions Berms

• Raised island -- wider than tall
• 51 slope is a good rule of thumb

SEE EXTRA HANDOUT ON BERMS
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Planting on a berm

• Group plants together
• Dries out faster use mulch

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Solutions Landscaping to prevent water loss and
runoff

• Live along a stream or lake?
• Create a buffer to slow and filter runoff ...
• grasses (most effective)
• shrubs (views, geese)
• trees (least effective)

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The End Questions?
Presented by Cornell Cooperative Extension of
Rockland County For more information, call the
Horticulture Diagnostic Lab at 845-429-7085 ext.
3 Monday Thursday 9 am 12 noon in winter 9
am 2 pm in summer
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Common Sources of Basement Water Seepage
http//www.statefarm.com/consumer/vhouse/articles/
wetbsmnt.htm
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Common Basement Drain Systems
http//www.statefarm.com/consumer/vhouse/articles/
wetbsmnt.htm
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Perimeter Basement Drain System
http//www.statefarm.com/consumer/vhouse/articles/
wetbsmnt.htm
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French Drain
http//www.cityofbellevue.org/page.asp?view8839
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http//www.cityofbellevue.org/page.asp?view8839
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Need to call a contractor?

• Look in Yellow Pages under
• Drainage contractors
• Pipe/waterproofing contractors
• Landscape architects
• Waterproofing materials
• Call Rockland County Office of Consumer
  Protection - to check on Home Improvement
  Licenses for contractors if there are
  complaints against businesses, 364-2681