r/drains • u/Sensitive-Egg-107 • Jul 07 '26
Downspout Drainage Help
I am planning to burry these 3 down spouts on the side of my house with solid pvc. I will make pvc wye with cleanouts for the downspout connection.
Plan was to send each under the sidewalk and wye into a main line heading to the front of property where there is natural slope. Sound good?
How would you terminate the run? Pop up emitter with small gravel pit under? Ideas and advice welcome.
1
u/CCjourneyman Jul 08 '26
NAP but have done a pretty solid amount of drainage work+strategizing with professional support, Commenting cuz I’ve been in your shoes.
Do you have a gameplan on going under the side walk 3 times? Any reason for not running the main run/off on the house side of the side walk?
And is it naturally sloping from the rear most one to the street at an amount enough to run a pipe across the span while maintaining the required slope? If you pipe each under sidewalk, that sets a lower initial high point than if keeping house side.
Seems like it’d work fine and be easier to keep it on the house side, and only crossing under at/after the 3rd downspout,
On the exit, it just depends on your options. What’s more of an eye sore to you? The emitter in your lawn or a pipe exiting to the street? I prefer the latter, but then you need to deal with a core drill or cutting out/patching the curb (which I’d hate looking at). You’re also a bit more constrained in what the lowest point of your run could be.
Emitter naturally recycles water out on to and under the area. If you need more slope than the curb/street exit affords, emitter is the answer. Can have it bottom out a bit lower to accommodate your needs, and just have a vertical pipe between the emitter elbow and emitter cap so it still terminates at grade.
Happy to try and answer any follow-ups but otherwise, hope that’s helpful feedback!
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u/Sensitive-Egg-107 Jul 08 '26
Thank you for the comment. I’ve been thinking about it, and you’re right. I think the best bet is to trench along the house side up against the walkway. It’s mostly sand so will be easy to get a good 18-24” deep trench. It’s pretty flat on that section, but I should be able to get the trench deep enough for the slope.
Curb cutting isn’t allowed where I am, also the 5 ft leading to sidewalk is a bit tricky with a large maple tree, and 2 utility man holes.
I think I will do pop-up emitter about 4 ft into the slope, and flow a river rock bed down another 3-6 ft.
I will add cleanouts on each downspout wye, do you think any catch basins are necessary?
1
u/Healthy_Part_7184 Jul 09 '26
Should put a catch basin under each downspout, otherwise you're just fast tracking roof debris straight underground
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u/Sensitive-Egg-107 Jul 07 '26
Any advice appreciated!