How To Get Rid Of Standing Water In Your Yard Permanently

Getting rid of standing water in your yard for good is a common goal for many homeowners. How do you get rid of standing water in your yard permanently? You can do it by finding out what causes the water issue and then putting in place the right fixes like changing the ground slope or putting in drains. Standing water, also known as ponding, is not just an eyesore. It can hurt your plants, damage your home’s foundation, and create a perfect spot for pests like mosquitoes. Fixing poor yard drainage is key to a healthy and useful outdoor space. This guide looks at why water stands in yards and offers yard drainage solutions that work long-term.

How To Get Rid Of Standing Water In Your Yard
Image Source: i.ytimg.com

Why Water Stands in Your Yard

Standing water happens when rain or other water sources cannot soak into the ground or run off quickly. There are a few main reasons this occurs.

Learning About Your Soil Type

The kind of dirt you have plays a big role. Soil with lots of clay is very dense. It has tiny spaces between particles. This makes it hard for water to move through it. Sandy soil, on the other hand, has bigger spaces. Water goes through sand easily. If your yard has heavy clay soil, water may sit on top for a long time after it rains. Soil drainage improvement can help here.

Grasping the Lay of the Land

The way your yard slopes is very important. Water flows downhill. If your yard is flat, or worse, slopes toward your house or low spots, water will collect there. Landscape grading means changing the slope of your yard. This helps water flow away from problem areas.

Fathoming Soil Compaction

Over time, soil can get packed down. This happens from walking on it, using heavy tools, or even hard rain falling on it. Compacted soil is hard and dense. Water cannot soak into it well. It’s like trying to pour water onto concrete.

Deciphering Underground Issues

Sometimes, problems under the ground cause standing water. A high water table means the water under the soil surface is very close to the top. This leaves little room for rainwater to soak in. Hard layers of soil (called hardpan) or even bedrock near the surface can also stop water from draining down.

Other Common Causes

Blocked gutters or downspouts: These should send water away from your house, not pool near the foundation or in the yard.
Neighbor’s yard: Water might be running off their property onto yours because of their landscape or drainage issues.
Underground pipes: Leaking pipes or old drainage systems might add extra water.
Low spots: Natural dips in the ground where water gathers.

Finding Out Why Water Stands in Your Yard

Before you can fix the problem, you need to know why it’s happening. Here are simple ways to check your yard.

The Simple Soak Test

This test helps you see how fast water drains into your soil.

Dig a hole about 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep in the area where water stands.
Fill the hole with water. Let it drain completely. This wets the soil.
Fill the hole with water again.
Watch how fast the water level drops.
Measure the drop every hour.
What it means: If the water level drops about 1-4 inches per hour, your drainage is okay. If it drops less than 1 inch per hour, you have poor drainage. If it drains almost instantly, you might have very sandy soil, which has other issues but usually not standing water.

Watching What Happens

Pay close attention to your yard during and after rain.

Where does water collect? Mark these spots.
How long does water sit there? Does it drain away in a few hours, or does it stay for days?
Where does water from your roof go? Check your gutters and downspouts. Do they dump water in a bad spot?
Where does water from your neighbor’s yard come from?

Easy Steps to Fix Small Problems

Sometimes, fixing standing water does not need a big project. These simple methods can help with minor soggy lawn remedies.

Fixing Your Soil

If your soil is compacted or heavy clay, improving it helps water soak in better.

Aeration: Use a tool to make small holes in the ground. This breaks up packed soil and lets air and water get in.
Adding Organic Matter: Mix compost, rotten leaves, or other plant stuff into your soil. This makes the soil lighter and helps it drain better. It’s a great way for soil drainage improvement.

Checking Gutters and Downspouts

Make sure your gutters are clean and free of leaves and dirt. Extend your downspouts so they send water at least 5-10 feet away from your house foundation and toward a place where it can drain away properly, not into a low spot in your yard.

Filling Low Spots

If water collects in small dips, you can fill them.

Use a mix of soil and compost or sand.
Add the mix a little at a time.
Make sure the filled area slopes gently away from any structures.
Do not add too much at once, or it can hurt the grass.

Major Yard Drainage Solutions

For bigger or lasting standing water problems, you might need more serious yard drainage solutions. These often involve changing the shape of your yard or putting in drainage systems.

Landscape Grading: Changing the Slope

Landscape grading is about reshaping the surface of your yard. The goal is to make water flow away from problem areas naturally.

Gentle Slope: You want your yard to slope away from your house at a rate of at least 1 inch for every 10 feet. This helps keep your foundation dry.
Creating Swales: A swale is a wide, shallow ditch that is often planted with grass or ground cover. It helps guide water from one area to another where it can drain safely, like into a street drain or a rain garden. It looks more natural than a deep ditch.
Building Berms: A berm is a raised mound of soil. Berms can be used to direct water flow. You can build a berm uphill from a low spot or structure to stop water from reaching it.

Steps for Simple Grading

Figure out the low spots and where you want the water to go.
Mark the areas.
Bring in fill dirt if needed. Use a mix of soil and sand or compost.
Spread the soil evenly, creating a gentle slope.
Use a rake and shovel to shape the area.
Compact the soil slightly.
Cover the area with grass seed or sod to prevent erosion.

Important: For major grading jobs, especially near your house or if slopes are steep, you might need a professional. They have the tools and knowledge to do it right and avoid causing new problems.

French Drain Installation: An Underground Helper

A French drain is a popular and effective way to deal with poor yard drainage caused by a high water table or water moving underground. It works by giving water an easy path to flow away.

What is a French Drain?

It’s basically a trench dug in the ground. The trench is filled with gravel. A perforated pipe (a pipe with holes in it) is laid in the trench, usually wrapped in a special fabric to keep dirt out. Water seeps into the trench, goes through the gravel, enters the pipe through the holes, and then flows away through the pipe to a safe outlet.

Where to Put a French Drain

Uphill from a wet area to catch water before it gets there.
Around the foundation of your house.
Across a soggy part of the lawn.

Steps for French Drain Installation

This is a bigger project, but doable for a DIYer with some effort.

Plan the Path: Decide where the drain will go. It needs to start in the wet area and end in a place where water can drain away, like a lower part of the yard, a street drain (check local rules first!), or a dry well. Make sure it slopes downhill the whole way (at least 1 inch drop for every 50 feet).
Dig the Trench: Dig a trench along the planned path. It’s usually 6-8 inches wide and 18-24 inches deep. The depth depends on the problem. The bottom of the trench must follow the planned slope.
Line the Trench: Line the trench with landscape fabric. This fabric lets water through but stops soil particles from clogging the pipe and gravel. Make sure there’s enough fabric to fold over the top later.
Add a Base Layer of Gravel: Put a few inches of gravel at the bottom of the trench. Use washed gravel, like drainage stone or river rock.
Lay the Pipe: Place the perforated pipe on top of the gravel layer. The holes in the pipe should face downwards or be all around, depending on the pipe type. Connect pipe sections if needed.
Cover with Gravel: Fill the trench with gravel, covering the pipe completely. Leave about 4-6 inches of space at the top.
Fold the Fabric: Fold the landscape fabric over the top of the gravel. This fully wraps the gravel and pipe inside the fabric layer.
Add Top Layer: Fill the rest of the trench with topsoil. You can plant grass over it.
Connect the Outlet: Make sure the pipe outlet at the end of the drain is clear and directs water away properly.

When to Get Help

French drain installation can be hard work. If you need a deep or long drain, or are unsure about planning the slope or outlet, call a drainage expert. Digging near utility lines is also risky.

Catch Basin: Stopping Surface Water

A catch basin is a box with a grate on top that is put into the ground in a low spot. It catches surface water quickly and sends it into an underground pipe system, often connected to a French drain or another outlet.

How a Catch Basin Works

Water flows over the grate and falls into the box. The box has a pipe coming out of the side, usually a few inches above the bottom. This design lets some dirt and debris settle in the bottom of the box, stopping it from going into the pipe and clogging it. The cleaner water flows out through the pipe.

Where to Use a Catch Basin

In the lowest spot of a paved area like a patio or driveway.
In a low, flat area of the lawn where water pools quickly.
At the end of a downspout extension.

Steps for Catch Basin Installation

Choose the Spot: Find the lowest point where water collects.
Dig the Hole: Dig a hole big enough for the catch basin box. Also, dig a trench for the pipe that will carry water away from the basin.
Place the Basin: Put the catch basin in the hole. Make sure the top grate is level with the ground or slightly below if in a lawn.
Connect the Pipe: Connect a solid drain pipe (like PVC) to the outlet hole on the catch basin. Use fittings designed for drainage.
Lay the Pipe: Lay the pipe in the trench, making sure it slopes downhill to the desired outlet.
Cover Pipes: Cover the pipe in the trench with soil.
Fill Around Basin: Fill soil around the catch basin box, making sure it’s stable.
Install Grate: Place the grate on top of the basin.

Catch basins are great for dealing with water that stays on the surface quickly after a rain. They work well when used with other systems like French drains or directing water to a rain garden.

Rain Garden: A Green Solution

A rain garden is a special type of garden built in a low spot in your yard. It’s designed to temporarily hold water runoff from roofs, driveways, or other parts of the yard. Instead of sending water into storm drains, the rain garden lets it soak into the ground naturally.

How a Rain Garden Works

The garden area is dug out to create a shallow basin. This basin is filled with a special mix of soil that drains well. Plants are chosen that can handle both wet conditions (when it rains) and dry conditions (between rains). The plants and soil work together to filter the water and help it soak into the ground.

Benefits of a Rain Garden

Reduces standing water and poor yard drainage.
Filters pollutants from runoff water.
Provides habitat for birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects.
Looks beautiful and adds to your landscape.
Helps recharge groundwater.

Steps for Creating a Rain Garden

Choose the Site: Find a low spot or plan where to direct water runoff (like from a downspout) into a basin. Make sure it’s at least 10 feet away from your house foundation.
Size it Right: The size depends on how much water you need to manage and your soil type. A common rule of thumb is 10-30% of the size of the area that drains into it (like the roof section).
Dig the Basin: Dig a shallow basin, usually 4-8 inches deep, with gently sloping sides.
Improve Soil: Dig out some of the native soil (especially if it’s heavy clay). Mix it with sand and compost to create a well-draining soil mix. Fill the basin with this new soil mix.
Select Plants: Choose plants native to your area that can tolerate both wet and dry conditions. Place plants that like more water in the lowest part and plants that like it drier on the edges.
Plant and Mulch: Plant your chosen plants. Add a layer of mulch (like shredded bark) but avoid wood chips that float away.
Direct Water: Make sure water from your downspouts or yard slopes is directed into the rain garden basin. You might use a small swale or pipe extension.

A rain garden is an eco-friendly and attractive yard drainage solution that works with nature to handle water.

Improving Soil Drainage Long-Term

Beyond simple aeration, you can make lasting changes to how your soil handles water. This is key to soil drainage improvement.

Add Lots of Organic Matter: Consistently mixing compost, aged manure, or other organic materials into your soil improves its structure. It creates more space for water and air and helps soil particles clump together in a way that drains better.
Avoid Compaction: Try not to walk on your garden beds or lawn when the soil is wet. Use paths or stepping stones. If using machinery, try to use lighter types or do the work when the soil is drier.
Deep Ripping or Tilling (Use Carefully): For very severe compaction or hardpan layers, deep tilling can break up the soil. However, this can also hurt the soil structure if done too much or at the wrong time. It’s often best used once to fix a major issue, combined with adding lots of organic matter.

Good soil drainage improvement creates a healthy base for your yard and makes other drainage solutions work better.

Dealing with Mosquitoes and Standing Water

One of the worst side effects of standing water is that it creates a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Just a small amount of water standing for a few days is enough. Mosquitoes standing water are a major health issue, as they can carry diseases.

Get Rid of the Water: The most important step is to remove the standing water permanently using the solutions discussed above. No standing water means no place for mosquitoes to lay eggs.
Check Small Containers: Even small amounts of water in buckets, old tires, bird baths, or clogged gutters can breed mosquitoes. Empty or clean these regularly.
Use Larvicides: If you have a pond or drainage ditch that must hold water sometimes, you can use biological controls like BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) that kill mosquito larvae but are safe for other wildlife and pets. Look for “mosquito dunks.”

Addressing the mosquitoes standing water problem goes hand-in-hand with fixing your drainage.

Preventing Standing Water in the Future

Once you’ve fixed your drainage issues, you want to keep them from coming back. Preventing standing water is an ongoing task.

Regular Checks: Walk around your yard regularly, especially after heavy rain. Look for new low spots or areas where water is starting to pool.
Maintain Drainage Systems:
- Keep French drain outlets clear.
- Clean out catch basins regularly – lift the grate and scoop out settled debris.
- Keep rain gardens free of weeds and ensure the plants are healthy.
- Check and clean gutters and downspouts often.
Manage Downspouts: Ensure extensions stay in place and direct water away from your house and low spots.
Aeration and Soil Care: Continue aerating your lawn every few years if needed. Keep adding organic matter to garden beds and soil.
Watch for New Issues: Tree roots can grow into pipes. Ground settling can create new low spots. Be aware of changes in your yard.

Putting It All Together: Choosing the Right Fix

Often, the best way to get rid of standing water permanently involves using more than one yard drainage solution.

If you have a low spot in the lawn where water pools, a catch basin might collect the surface water, sending it through a pipe to a French drain which then carries it away from the area.
If water is pooling near your foundation because the ground slopes towards it, you might need landscape grading to fix the slope and a French drain along the foundation for extra protection.
If you have lots of runoff from hard surfaces, a rain garden could be the primary solution.

Think about the source of the water, the amount of water, and the specific spot where it collects. This helps you decide which tools or combination of tools will work best. For big or complex problems, getting advice from a professional drainage expert is a good idea. They can assess your specific situation and design a system that will work for your yard and budget.

By identifying the cause, applying the right yard drainage solutions like landscape grading, French drain installation, rain garden creation, or using a catch basin, and focusing on soil drainage improvement, you can get rid of standing water and enjoy a drier, healthier yard. This also helps in preventing standing water issues like mosquitoes standing water in the future. It takes effort, but a dry, usable yard is worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest way to fix standing water?

Simple things are cheapest. Extending downspouts, cleaning gutters, or filling very small low spots with soil cost less. Aerating the lawn or adding compost to soil are also fairly cheap ways for soil drainage improvement. Bigger solutions like French drain installation or major landscape grading cost more.

Can grass grow in an area with standing water?

Not usually. Most lawn grasses do not like having their roots sit in water for long periods. They will die. This leads to bare spots or weeds that tolerate wet soil, making your soggy lawn remedies harder.

How long should standing water stay after rain?

In a yard with good drainage, most standing water should soak in or run off within a few hours after the rain stops. If water stays for more than 24 hours, you likely have a drainage problem.

Does a French drain need a permit?

It depends on where you live and how the drain will end. Sending water onto a neighbor’s property or into a city storm drain might need approval or a permit. Always check with your local city or county building department before starting a major drainage project.

Can a rain barrel help with yard drainage?

Yes, in a way. Rain barrels collect water from your roof that would otherwise run into your yard. By holding this water, you reduce the amount of runoff you need to manage with other drainage solutions. You can then use the water for plants later.