Dry wells in Austin: when they help and when they fill on week one
A dry well is a bet that the soil can accept volume. Clay and a high water table often refuse the bet. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.
Journal
Field notes.
The yard drain that used to work in Austin
Grates sink. Lawns get built up. The low point moves. The old drain sits high and dry — except it is not dry around it. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.
When an existing French drain in Austin stops working
Silt, roots, a crushed line, or an outlet that disappeared under new dirt. The product did not fail as an idea. The path failed. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.
Downspouts flooding flower beds in Austin
A bed is not a discharge. It is a sponge that fails and then rots the plants you paid for. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.
Water collecting between two Austin houses
Two roofs, one alley of dirt, zero daylight. This is the classic corridor failure. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.
HOA lots and common-area water in Austin
Common swales and rear drains often concentrate flow onto one pad. The covenant does not move the water. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.
Filled lots and bowls in Austin subdivisions
Fill settles. Low spots appear where the plan showed fall. Fences then trap what the fill created. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.
Tropical and heavy rain on a Austin residential lot
Volume arrives faster than soil can take it. Capture and conveyance have to be sized for that pulse. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.
How Austin storm season should change the diagnosis
A system designed for a Tuesday shower is not designed for the cell that sits on the county for an hour. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.
Cleanouts: the unglamorous part of a Austin drainage system
A line you cannot reach is a line you cannot maintain. Place cleanouts where a future crew can actually work. Local notes for Austin: thin soils over limestone on the Edwards Plateau edge.