Product Code Database
A dry well or soak is a structure formed underground that disposes of unwanted water, such as surface runoff water and stormwater. In this process, the water is infiltrated into the ground, further merging with groundwater in the local area. The way water flows in a dry well is through gravity. A dry well will typically have a chamber structure, or a deep pit covered with gravel. Dry wells may vary from simple to more advanced structures.
Dry wells are excavated pits that may be filled with aggregate or air and are often lined with a perforated casing. The casings consist of perforated chambers made out of plastic or concrete and may be lined with geotextile. They provide high stormwater infiltration capacity while also having a relatively small footprint.
A dry well receives water from entry pipes at its top. It can be used as part of a stormwater drainage network, an agricultural well drainage system or on smaller scales such as collecting stormwater from building . It is used in conjunction with pretreatment measures such as or sediment chambers to prevent groundwater contamination.
The depth of the dry well allows the water to penetrate soil layers with poor infiltration such as into more permeable layers of the vadose zone such as sand.
Simple dry wells consist of a pit filled with gravel, riprap, rubble, or other debris. Such pits resist collapse but do not have much storage capacity because their interior volume is mostly filled by stone. A more advanced dry well defines a large interior storage volume by a concrete or plastic chamber with perforated sides and bottom. These dry wells are usually buried completely so that they do not take up any land area. The dry wells for a parking lot's storm Drainage are usually buried below the same parking lot.
Dry wells are followed by their own pros and cons when considering installing one. These pros and cons are included below;
Pros: low cost, small footprint, construction is rapid.
Cons: difficult to maintain when clogged, cannot be pumped to extract groundwater, is dependent on permeable soil that allows infiltration of stormwater.
A covered pit that disposes of the water component of sewage by the same principle as a dry well is called a cesspool. A septic drain field operates on the same slow-drain/large-area principle as an infiltration basin.
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