Drainage & French Drains in Medford, NJ

Where the water table is close to the surface

In parts of Medford the seasonal high water table comes up close to the surface, especially near the streams and cedar swamps. On those properties, anything below a few feet can take on water in a wet spring no matter how well the surface is graded. Drainage still helps — by keeping roof and surface water from adding to what's already there — but we're honest about what it can and can't do against ground water itself.

Large wooded lots

Many Medford homes sit on one-, two- and three-acre wooded parcels. Roofs drain onto forest floor, long gravel and concrete drives channel runoff, and detached garages and outbuildings add their own roof water. On a lot that size, the problem area may be small while the water feeding it comes from a long way off.

We walk the whole property to see where water starts, not just where it ends up.

Keep drainage away from septic and wells

Many Medford properties use a private septic system and a private well. That changes drainage design. Roof and yard water should never be directed into or across a septic disposal field — a saturated field can't do its job. Drainage lines also need sensible separation from the well. We locate the tank, field and well before planning any route.

Wetlands and buffers

Parts of the township border wetlands and their transition areas, and those are a real constraint, not a formality. Discharging drainage toward a wetland or working inside a buffer can require additional review. We check early so a project doesn't stall, and we keep equipment and spoil out of protected ground.

French drains in sand

A French drain is a fabric-lined trench of clean stone with perforated pipe at a continuous fall. In Medford's sand, filter fabric is essential: without it, fine sand washes into the stone and clogs the drain within a few seasons. The trench must cut into the perching layer so water can drop into the stone.

Sand trench walls won't stand on their own once they get deep, so we slope or support them as needed.

Dry wells work here more often than elsewhere

Because so much of the township is sand, a properly sized dry well can often absorb roof water where daylighting is difficult. The exceptions are spots with a hardpan layer close below or a high water table — there, a dry well fills and stays full. We test the ground first.

Long drives and outbuildings

Long gravel and concrete driveways collect runoff along their whole length and deliver it to wherever the drive bottoms out, often a garage door. Swales or trench drains alongside the drive, and downspout lines from detached garages and outbuildings, keep that water moving to an outlet instead. Where concrete is involved, we self-perform the restoration.

Additions over crawl spaces

Additions built over crawl spaces are common in Medford, and a wet crawl space leads to musty air and rot. Keeping surface water away from the addition's foundation, carrying its roof water off with the rest of the house, and grading the ground to fall away usually dries the crawl space considerably.

Working around the trees

Oaks and pines define Medford's lots. We route trenches around trunks and main roots where the outlet allows and hand-dig through root zones where it doesn't. Large trees pull a lot of water from the ground; damaging their roots can make drainage worse.

Basement water or sewage?

Ground water in the basement is a drainage question. Sewage backing up is a septic or sewer line problem, and on septic properties the cause may be the pipe to the tank or the tank and field themselves.

Utilities

In served areas, Medford Township provides water and sewer; elsewhere, wells and septic are the norm. We have public utilities marked and locate private lines, tanks and wells before trenching.