Hi rose,

Why can't the water sheet flow off your front lawn and drive. How much slope do you have and what are the obstructions that keep it from flowing off so that you need a French Drain system? Where will the FD system go in relation to your driveway and front yard? I have not used a Varicore WDS but understand the principles that cause problems pretty well. I would assume the pipes have holes drilled in them, yes? Aloha

Unfortunately, there must be an artesan spring below the surface, as 3 other houses on my side of the street have soggy front yards following prlonged rains w/ stained curbs and driveway, in my case.

Hi Rose,

You don't have a large hill behind you do you and is this a newly graded site for new homes? Are these french drain pipes configured horizontal or vertical and at what depth is the outlet? Is there a good amount of elevation change in your front yard and driveway? Is your drain outlet coming out of your curb face or are you building a sump and pumping it out? If the water is coming from below, the drain system you have described would be very effective but you might try to work out your infiltration rate and how much area you need to effectively drain. The water could be pumped to irrigated instead of using city water to do so. Aloha

There is no hill behind my home. The front yard slopes about 25% degrees w/ the concrete curb being the lowest point, so will be relying on gravity to shed the water down to the curb. The underground pipes are going to be run horizontally and then tied in to a vertical pipe that runs down to the street.

Hi rose,

Is the rx because you are a pharmacist? This scenario will not be cheap. This is a commercial style solution but it will be very effective. It sounds like to me the house pad was in a cut area during mass grading and was leveled below the localized hydraulic gradient of the natural water table. This causes an artesian effect in the soil. If water is not freely flowing from your lawn area, then the soil type is acting like a barrier to the flow (more clay type of soil). I am totally guessing without actually seeing the situation. This system will be effective if the water comes from below because the soil below will slow down the water velocity and it will not migrate into the sand as it would from above. There are alternatives, one is a grid of collection pipes like they install under golf course greens. It would work on the same theory but probably cheaper materials and not paying for heavy marketing that these collection products require in order to create a demand. How about digging a large hole and creating a great water feature and fish pond with an overflow drain underground. JMHO. aloha

You are quite perceptive. There is no space to create a retention pond, nor is the H2O effluent suitable for sustaining aquatic life. The price on the Varicore was not too bad

Rose,

There are ways, if you know what you are dealing with. That is the reasons aquariums were invented. Balancing water environments chemically. You should have a good background in this subject. Time to experiment. You are the sole judge of what you need and dream. Also what you are willing to pay. It is hard to evaluate without actually seeing what you are up against. My opinion is filtered by your written information. It sounds like you have enough feed back and confidence to make the most advantageous decision. JMHO, Aloha.