Before we jump in, a quick note:

For the first time in over a year, we have a deal in the crosshairs and intend to release the deal info in the next week or two. If you want to be added to our distribution list, click here.

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One of our properties has a neighboring pond and a natural spring which kept the ground very wet. This would get worse when it rained. The straw finally broke the camels back earlier this year when there were 3 separate episodes of moderate rain, each taking place a month apart in January, February and March 2024. The cost to fix the gravel drive isles and surrounding landscaping cost us ~$8,000. We were fixing the same places every month at an average cost of $2,666 per month, which was not sustainable especially since we had not even reached the rainy season.

For reference, this video shows the amount of groundwater that accumulated overnight, keep in mind that the last time it rained prior to recording this video was 5 days prior and it only rained 0.75 inches.

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We devised a plan to install a french drain where the natural spring produced excessive ground water. To get enough fall we would have to run the pipe from the back of our property line all the way to the front and have the exit pipe dump the water into the cities drain. This was supposed to be the most cost-effective solution with a huge caveat being the city would allow us to do this and not require additional work. Well the city would only approve the work if we moved some utility lines which alone was going to cost us >$25k. That wasn't an option.
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So how could we remove excess ground water from the property when there wasn't enough fall for the water to naturally flow out the back of the property? Answer: Sump Pump. Because we were battling gravity by having to move water up a slight slope, we went with a pump that has enough horsepower to push the water uphill. The 1/2 HP in the Zoeller Model 98 would give us plenty of force so that is the pump we went with.
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The solution that ultimately worked was installing a french drain to collect the ground water and use a sump pump to push the water out the back of the property. The sump pump required additional work (electrical, etc.) but it works like a charm. The total cost of this project was $14,828, which included 400' of perforated pipe, 57 gravel for pipe base and pea gravel surrounding the pie to filter out the water from the dirt.
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Before & After Photos:

Coming full circle here, we are now well versed in groundwater solutions. If you have similar challenges or questions about managing groundwater, don't hesitate to reach out.

- RuCo