What is Subsurface drainage system?

 Used where the soil is permeable enough to allow economical spacing of the drains and
productive enough to justify the investment.

 Will provide trouble-free service for many years as long as it is carefully planned, properly
installed, and constructed of high-quality materials.

TYPES OF SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEM

1. Corrugated Plastic Drainage Pipe

 Known as "french drain" or "weeping tile"
 a flexible pipe perforated with small holes on one side that allow water to enter the
pipe from the surrounding soil.
 These pipes can be installed underneath a lawn to provide an easy way for water to
escape during and after a rainfall. If a lawn doesn't have enough slope to drain
naturally, or is made of relatively impermeable soil, installing corrugated pipe will
prevent it from flooding. The installation itself is very simple.
2. INTERCEPTOR DRAIN
 Known as ”curtain drain”
 a drainage system that is installed to collect, channel and remove surface and
subsurface water within permeable soil as it flows across an impermeable soil layer.
 Typically installed in a trench along the contour of a slope, interceptor drains are
used to help maintain soil stability and prevent soil erosion. In landscape
applications, interceptor drains are used to capture ground water from flowing
downhill onto adjacent areas.
3. Ground water pumps
 These remove water from aquifers so that the water table will fall or be maintained
at a suitable level below the ground surface.
 The act of pumping causes a drawdown of ground water leading out from the
pump's location with its effect being much less at depth. The extent of effect will
depend on aquifer depth, soil type, height of water table, etc.
 The cost, benefits, disadvantages, and most importantly, whether they can be used
or not and the need for a permit must be discussed with the Regional Rural Water
authorities. Ground water pumping will not be discussed further in this Wet Soils
Management series.
4. Mole Drains
 Mole drainage can be classified as mole drains, mole drains over a collector pipe
system or gravel mole drains. The suitability of each type will depend on the clay
content and type, sand and/or stone in the profile, gradient and outfall location. The
action of the mole plough forms a mole channel in the area of the soil profile with a
specific clay content. The plough also cracks the soil profile immediately above the
mole channel allowing water to flow into it.
 Mole drains are used in heavy soils where clay subsoil near moling depth (400 to
600cm) prevents downward movement of ground water