Should a home have a dry well?

Homeowners that don't have underground drainage systems on their properties and experience houses shifting or basement leaks from water pooling in the yard should consider installing a dry well. A dry well is an inexpensive system that drains excess water from saturated low spots on a property.

A dry well consists of a buried drainpipe that runs from a catch basin near where the water is pooling to a collection container somewhere away from the house. Cutting holes in the bottom of the collection container (a plastic garbage can works well), allows the water to drain into the surrounding soil away from the house instead of pooling in the yard or leaking into the basement.