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YOU ARE HERE: www.marionswcd.org >
drainage >
Check out our new Drainage Fact Sheets
Because of many questions about drainage
around home sites, our District has developed two new fact sheets.
See the What to do about...
Surface Drainage Around Your Home and
Sub-surface Drainage Around Your Home.
History
Marion
County
was once a vast swamp that included miles of standing water that pioneers
struggled to drain to make the land habitable. It even gets its name from
General Francis Marion, also known as "The Swamp Fox." One of Marion
County's most widespread problems is poor drainage which is
caused/exacerbated by:
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poorly drained
soils
(Brookston and Crosby)
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a high seasonal water table
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collapsed, broken, or damaged drainage tiles
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Flooding due to improper drainage |
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Standing water and persistent wetness |
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Installation of corrugated plastic tile |
Do I have a drainage problem?
Agricultural
areas have traditionally relied on “tiles" to artificially lower the water
table and to facilitate drainage. As land uses in a specific area change
from agricultural to residential and commercial uses, subsurface drainage
"tiles" can be crushed and damaged.
When damaged tiles no longer provide drainage the land returns to its
pre-drained state. This often results in septic system failures, wet crawl
spaces and basements, mildew in homes and ponded areas in yards that
create great breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
We are committed to promoting proper
drainage policies, providing educational programs, encouraging wise land
use for homeowners, protection of floodplains, and improvement of drainage
ditches, pollution and erosion control, and extensions of sewer systems in
the county.
Services Available
Drainage Consulting
Services
Tips and Resources
for Home Owners
Marion Co SWCD Drainage Tips
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Without adequate
drainage, a lot will not be a successful home site.
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Consider the size and
location of the lot; is it higher or lower than the surroundings?
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Will a septic system
fit?
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Work closely with the
Marion County Health Department when considering a septic system.
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Work with your neighbors; drainage problems are usually bigger
than one property
Consider the people who live upstream and downstream from you
Septic Systems
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Septic systems may be possible in marginal or relatively
poorly drained soils with the use of perimeter tile drains to lower the
groundwater table. Perimeter drains should be at least 40 feet from any septic
field. Review your
soil survey
to determine your soils limitations for your home site. By law, you cannot place a septic system in the same area as
your well.
Contact the Marion County Health Department
for more information. Check their website at:
http://www.mchd.com
and their septic systems web pages at:
http://www.mchd.com/septic.htm
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Tiles
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Maintain existing tiles and drains. If one becomes damaged
during development, repair it properly Sections of tiles running near trees should be made of
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) so that tree roots will not break or clog the
tile Tiles must be connected to a storm sewer at a junction
designated by the owner of the sewer. Tiles can only be installed where there is an outlet of
adequate depth. This may be determined by a site survey. Normally, existing tile drains are placed approximately 80
feet apart and at least 30 inches in depth, so they can usually drain a
width of 40 feet on either side of the line.
Getting Help
Marion
County Soil & Water Conservation District assists private property owners
with drainage and erosion problems in circumstances where the county is
not responsible for making improvements. We assist you by:
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investigating the site
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conducting surveys
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reviewing soil surveys,
infrastructure maps, and other information
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Providing designs and
making recommendations, as needed
Historical drainage requests map
Reference Publications
We have developed these two publications to
help citizens make educated decisions when choosing a building site or
pre-owned home. To receive a copy, call us at 317-780-1765.
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Home Buyers Checklist |
Building with the Land:-A Homebuyer's
Guide to
soils, drainage, and erosion control in Marion County |
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Other information
Learn more about Marion
County, Indiana soils by checking our Soils web page.
For more information about the Indianapolis area’s stormwater management
issues check the Marion County Stormwater Management District Website
at:
http://www.indygov.org/eGov/City/DPW/Environment/Stormwater/home.htm
For technical assistance, contact the Marion County SWCD at 317-786-1776
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