All About Dry Wells

Many people have been interested in the topic of Dry Wells, so we decided to try to give a helpful explanation and give some examples of when and how they are used.

What is a Dry Well?

A Dry Well is a device placed in the ground that can collect excess water (usually rain water) quickly and and disperse that water into the ground slowly. Dry wells are one of the most effective tools for residential storm water management.
Dry Wells can take many forms and have been used for many years. More recently however, the Dry Well has gained popularity because it was featured on the television program "This Old House". The popular television show featured the NDS Flo-Well installation in a restoration project of a beautiful New England home. The NDS Flo-Well just happens to be our favorite too! We love it because it is very inexpensive, relatively easy to install (probably the easiest) and very versatile because it is modular. At an amazingly low weight-- only about 29 pounds including the lid- -It is light weight and easy to move around. The Flo-Well Dry Well is about 29 inches tall and about 24 inches in diameter. These are all important things to consider when purchasing a dry well

Where are dry wells used?

Dry Wells are particularly well suited for areas that:
• can get a lot of rain water in a relatively short period of time
• have poor water drainage naturally
• Need a clean look for storm water disposal
• have a low enough water table that water can be removed from the dry well and fed into the ground
• Other Ideas include outdoor showers such as poolside showers, roof and gutter drainage, driveway drainage runoff, and drainage around the foundation of the house.

How hard is it to install a dry well?

There are many ways to configure a dry well system, and the installation almost always needs to be customized to the landscape or property where it is going to be installed. The great news is that while you will probably get dirt under your fingernails, dry wells aren't excessively complicated.

Problems a dry well solves

Have you ever become frustrated by all the residual water every time it rains? There are many benefits to using a dry well. Some obvious, others you may not have considered.

• Dry wells obviously help reduce standing water in unwanted areas such as lawns or driveways.
• Standing water can lead to soggy, muddy or swampy areas as well as property damage, mosquito breeding grounds and unsightly areas of the landscape
• Dry wells can get rid of storm water close to where it fell which reduces the need of long, difficult to manage pipe lines to outlets that are often very difficult to acquire.
• Once installed a dry well system is invisable
• Dry Wells provide a way to drain water which is natural. Home dry wells are practical and natural.

Where are dry wells most common?

Of course they are more popular in the North East part of the US, and in Hawaii where high rainfall and low drainage are often an issue. However, we sell dry wells all over the United States. They even get installed in the Shadow of the Everlasting Hills (Utah) which is mostly desert. Yes, Arizona, Southern California, and New Mexico too.

Additional Information about dry wells

Hopefully this has been a concise yet comprehensive definition and explanation of dry wells, but if you would like more information about dry wells and how one might help you in your situation please don't hesitate to give us a call.