Two French Drains

Our guys were into a multi-cultural moment the other day: installing French drains at the local Virginia Pumping Station.

Actually, 'multi-cultural' is a misnomer; French drains are not named for the country, but for Henry French of Massachusetts who proposed the idea way back in 1859. The concept is simple: for water runoff, you construct a slightly sloped trench filled with gravel that feeds into a pipe and diverts the water flow.

In this case, it was the front foundation wall that needed enhanced drainage.

This is actually one of the smaller pipes at the Pumping Station, and is not a water pipe at all, but a vent. For example, the pipes that carry water are more than twice this size at 60" in diameter.

A lot of trenching on a job/problem this size is required to create the proper slope for the runoff pipes to divert the water as far as possible from the structure.

French drains are all too common, but what is a Virginia Pumping Station? We're glad you asked: it is the result of a controversial decision by Virginia Beach some 30 years ago to gain a fresh water source for its community from the Roanoke River, aka Lake Gaston. Among many others, the proposed project was emphatically opposed by the State of North Carolina, which feared reduction in its downstream water supply, and local residents of the Lake, who feared corruption of their near paradisiacal enclave. The opponents were not enough; all the petitions, lawsuits, and permit challenges failed, and construction of a massive water pipeline crossing the coastal plain of Virginia was completed. The Pumping Station begins the journey for the waters of Lake Gaston.

Whether you like it or hate it, Virginia Beach's water pipeline is a very impressive engineering feat: 76 miles of pipes carrying some 500 million pounds of water each and every day.

It might seem odd that a water pumping station would have problems with water flow, but such is common to buildings and homes of all types. As an architect once sardonically told me, 'Architects do not create water problems; they just perfect them.' Which is to say, any structure can have or develop water problems as water and water flows are the very definition of eccentric and unpredictable - see, for example, any text book on fluid dynamics for an example of science throwing up its hands in despair (I kid, but not by much).

But it is vitally important when water problems do develop that a careful, competent expert be brought in to correct the problem. Such was the case here, and Ben's Creek Nursery rose to the task to protect this important structure on Lake Gaston.

Call us today for a free evaluation of any drainage problems you may be having! Your foundation and house deserve no less.

Road-side view of the Pumping Station.

This low profile structure extends more than 35' underground,

and houses all of the wells, turbines,and pumps necessary for its work.