Lawn + Garden Projects
Dry Well Installation


BLACK+DECKER B+D Contributor 120 Projects
Downspouts and other house drainage systems are common obstacles for new patio projects. The problem is simple: the water needs a place to go. Sometimes downspouts can be extended or repositioned to clear the patio area, and natural drainage routes in your yard can be altered with a swale. But often the best solution is to capture the water and divert it to a dry well in your yard.
A dry well system typically consists of a buried drain tile running from a catch basin at the water source to a collection container some distance away. A basic system is easy and inexpensive to install. In the project shown here, a perforated plastic drain tile connects to a dry well fashioned from a plastic trash can that has been drilled with holes and then filled with stone rubble. Water can percolate into the soil as it makes its way along the drainpipe, while the well serves as a large collection area that drains excess water slowly into the surrounding earth.