Backyard Drainage Installation with French Drain & Catch Basins in Niles, IL

This backyard drainage project in Niles, IL focuses on collecting surface runoff and subsurface water in a low-lying area of the backyard and conveying it toward a designated discharge location in the front yard. The work includes installing two catch basins, a French drain system, solid PVC drainage piping, and a surface-access discharge assembly to improve water collection and movement across the property.

The project also includes connecting the southwest downspout to the new drainage line and using suitable excavated soil to improve grading in low areas of the front yard where appropriate. By coordinating the catch basins, French drain, solid piping, and downspout connection, the system is designed to manage water from multiple areas of the property and direct it away from the home.

Project Goals

• Install two 12-inch catch basins in the southwest corner of the backyard to collect surface runoff.
• Connect the catch basins with a French drain system using perforated PVC, drainage stone, and filtration fabric.
• Install approximately 90 linear feet of solid four-inch PVC piping to convey collected water toward the front yard.
• Provide a surface-access discharge assembly with a grate and gravel base for controlled water release and maintenance access.
• Connect the downspout at the southwest corner of the house to the new PVC drainage line.
• Improve low areas in the front yard using suitable excess excavated soil.
• Leave the existing downspout connection at the southwest corner of the garage unchanged.
• Establish a coordinated drainage system that addresses surface runoff and subsurface water collection.

Backyard Catch Basin Installation

The drainage work begins with installing two 12-inch catch basins in the southwest corner of the backyard, where surface runoff collects in the primary low area. These basins are intended to provide designated collection points for water moving across the ground surface.

Catch basins help direct surface water into an underground drainage system rather than allowing it to remain concentrated in low areas. Their placement is an important part of the overall layout because they connect the backyard’s surface drainage needs with the piping that carries collected water toward the discharge location.

By establishing two collection points in the identified low area, the system is designed to gather runoff and direct it into the connected drainage network.

French Drain System for Subsurface Water Collection

The two catch basins will be connected through a French drain system constructed with perforated PVC piping, drainage stone, and filtration fabric. This assembly is intended to collect subsurface water and support its movement toward the connected drainage system.

Perforated pipe allows surrounding water to enter the drainage line, while drainage stone creates a permeable area around the pipe. Filtration fabric helps separate the drainage materials from the surrounding soil and reduce the movement of soil particles into the stone layer.

Combining these materials creates a subsurface collection system that works alongside the catch basins. This approach addresses both surface runoff entering the basins and water moving through the surrounding soil.

Solid PVC Drainage Line to the Front Yard

Approximately 90 linear feet of solid four-inch PVC piping will convey collected water from the backyard toward a designated discharge location in the front yard. Unlike the perforated pipe used in the French drain section, solid PVC is intended to transport water along the planned route without collecting surrounding groundwater along its length.

This section connects the backyard collection system to the discharge point, allowing water gathered by the catch basins and French drain to move away from the primary low area. The solid piping provides the main conveyance route between the backyard and front yard.

The installation will coordinate the catch basins, French drain, and solid piping as connected components of one drainage system.

Surface-Access Discharge Assembly

At the designated front-yard discharge location, the project includes a surface-access discharge assembly with a grate and gravel base. This component provides an outlet for water carried through the underground drainage piping while maintaining surface access to the discharge area.

The grate provides an accessible opening for inspection and maintenance, while the gravel base forms part of the discharge assembly. Providing access at the outlet can make it easier to check the discharge point and address debris or maintenance needs when necessary.

The discharge assembly is the final component in the planned route, where water conveyed from the backyard can be released at the designated front-yard location.

Southwest House Downspout Connection

The downspout at the southwest corner of the house will be connected to the new PVC drainage line leading toward the front yard. This connection incorporates roof runoff into the coordinated drainage system rather than leaving the downspout as a separate discharge point.

During rainfall, roof runoff collected by the downspout can contribute to water accumulation around the home if it is not conveyed away appropriately. Connecting the downspout to the new line is intended to carry this runoff toward the designated discharge location.

The existing downspout connection at the southwest corner of the garage will remain unchanged. Keeping this connection outside the scope of work preserves the existing garage drainage arrangement while the new system addresses the specified backyard collection areas and house downspout.

Front-Yard Grading Improvements

Suitable excess soil excavated during the drainage installation will be used to fill low areas in the front yard where appropriate. This allows available soil from the project to support minor grading adjustments instead of removing all excavated material from the property.

Grading is an important complement to underground drainage because surface elevations influence how runoff travels across a yard. Filling selected low areas can help improve the consistency of the ground surface and support the intended movement of surface water.

Any use of excess soil will be coordinated with the drainage work and the existing site conditions. The goal is to improve grading where suitable while maintaining the planned drainage route and discharge arrangement.

Coordinating Surface and Subsurface Drainage

This project combines several drainage components to address different ways water can collect around a property. The catch basins are intended to collect surface runoff in the backyard’s primary low area, while the perforated French drain helps collect subsurface water from the surrounding soil.

The solid PVC piping then conveys collected water toward the front-yard discharge assembly. Connecting the southwest house downspout to this line also incorporates roof runoff into the planned drainage route. Together, these components form a coordinated system rather than relying on a single collection point or drainage method.

The existing garage downspout connection will remain unchanged, keeping that portion of the property’s drainage arrangement separate from the new installation.

Why Proper Drainage & Grading Matter

Water management involves more than installing underground pipe. Surface elevations, subsurface water movement, collection points, and discharge locations all influence how water moves through a property.

Catch basins provide designated points for surface runoff, while a French drain helps collect water moving through the soil. Solid piping carries the collected water to the discharge location, and grading adjustments can help address selected low areas at the surface.

By coordinating these elements, the Niles drainage project is designed to reduce standing water in the identified backyard low area, improve water collection, and convey runoff away from the home. Actual performance will depend on site conditions, installation elevations, and the ability of the discharge location to release water effectively.

Project Highlights

• Backyard drainage improvements in Niles, IL.
• Installation of two 12-inch catch basins in the southwest backyard low area.
• French drain system using perforated PVC, drainage stone, and filtration fabric.
• Approximately 90 linear feet of solid four-inch PVC drainage piping.
• Conveyance of collected backyard water to a designated front-yard discharge location.
• Surface-access discharge assembly with a grate and gravel base.
• Connection of the southwest house downspout to the new PVC drainage line.
• Existing southwest garage downspout connection left unchanged.
• Use of suitable excavated soil to fill selected front-yard low areas.
• Coordinated approach to surface runoff, subsurface water collection, and grading.

As you browse through the photos, you can see the different components involved in a coordinated residential drainage installation, from the backyard catch basins and French drain materials to the underground PVC piping and front-yard discharge assembly. Each component serves a specific purpose in collecting, conveying, or releasing water as part of the overall system.

This Niles, IL project brings together backyard water collection, subsurface drainage, downspout management, and selected grading improvements. The system is designed to address the identified low area and provide a defined route for collected water to move toward the designated front-yard discharge point.

 

---

Please call 847.698.6868 or Contact Us

Tommy Pollina Landscape Company – serving Chicagoland since 1982.