I recently consulted with a landscaper who suggested I direct all my runoff into my neighbor's yard. He claimed that doing this isn't illegal in my state. Interestingly, he pointed out neighbors whose runoff is flooding my yard, implying it was intentional. While it's true that their elevated properties cause some water to flow into mine, I don't expect them to bear the costs of managing it. There's also a house behind mine with a similar elevation, and they suggested just letting all their water flow towards me.
I have a small backyard, so a rain garden isn't ideal for me. Am I stuck installing French drains with a sump pump to push the water uphill to the street instead? I noticed a sanitary manhole in my yard, but I'm unsure if it's legal or advisable to pump my water there.
1 Answer
I faced a similar situation! Instead of redirecting water, I opted to have a deep dry well installed. Just so you know, my neighbor still thinks I did something wrong after that! It can really help manage drainage without bothering others.
Would a dry well work if the soil is mostly clay?