Concrete Box Drainage

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RileyinTX

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Hello,

I have been reading a while, but now I have a question that hasn't been previously answered.

I have a 3' deep x 2' wide x 2' length concrete hole in my backyard right next to the driveway. It is covered with a drainage grate and has a pipe sticking out the back about 6" down. Clearly, it helps with drainage. I am wondering about the design of this system. Does anyone know what it is called? It seems to work fine except during heavy downpours where it gets behind. Why isn't there any holes drilled in the bottom of it? Should I drill holes in the bottom to help with drainage? The hole is filled with dirt (which I dug out to investigate), but the dirt (which ends just below the pipe) gets into the pipe and clogs it. Can I put something over the dirt (like landscape fabric) to keep the dirt out of the pipe?

Just looking for advice.
 

WorthFlorida

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Yes but remove most of the dirt.
If there is no bottom to this box, dig down as far as you want to go, probably three feet, the same as the sidewalls. Line the bottom with landscape fabric and fill it with stone. The depth and level of stone below the pipe is really up to you. This is a maintenance item. Runoff will always contain some dirt or sand that settles to the bottom. Don't expect too much to drain into the ground during a rain event but after a few hours it should drain down if the ground is not saturated.
 

Druid

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It sounds like what they call a catch basin but it could be a dry well/French drain.
Usually a catch basin has anoutlet pipe about 6 inches off the bottom that allows water to drain away. Sediments would accumulate at the bottom of the basin to prevent the outlet pipe from clogging and would be routinely removed. If that's the case you should clean the basin and try to remove debris from the pipe if possible.
It could be that the pipe is for water coming in from something like your downspouts or another catch basin. If that's the case it's likely a dry well and should have some kind of holes to allow water to leach out.
 
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