Thank you for the response. It looks like flushing the system with more water will be the plan. Unfortunately, without the softener, our plumbing fixtures and toilet get a thick deposit of scale in no time. My husband is especially worried about the scale that may be forming in the pipes where we can't clean it. Thanks for the suggestion to flush with more water. Squirrel Girl

I doubt that anyone here could give you a definitive answer on exactly what size and how many drain pipes you need, because there are so many unknowns. In my own case, I am certain that what you describe would not be adequate, because we have hard clay soil and lots of boulders. Were I in Florida, with sandy soil that drains rapidly, I would not be too concerned. Is this a custom home that's being built for you, or is it part of a production builder's development? Do you own the lot and control the money, or does the builder? That will make a difference in how your problem is resolved. You might consult with your local building authority about their drainage requirements, in hopes that the current one has not already been passed. Whatever the case, I urge you to do whatever it takes to ensure proper drainage. We only recently became aware of how badly the builder of our new (builder spec) house screwed up, and are spending a large sum to not only correct the drainage but to repair the damage done by water intrusion. Had the builder of this house done the right thing initially, it would have cost him a small fraction of what we will pay now.

This is an extremely common problem in new developments and landscapes. Even if the soil has been saved and placed back you've lost all of the "layering" of the soil that once had insect holes, pore spaces, and microbes working over it. In some landscape situations the soil will eventually "mellow out" and water will flow through it more rapidly. Expect the "ditch" to expand and contract as the soil settles into place. It could end up being a problem or it might not. Time will tell. Two to three years and you will know for sure. Every heavy rainfall mowing will be a pain even after the pore space issue is resolved. If you were able to pinpoint the low spot where the water collected you could put in a catch basin and tile with pop-up connector (but you could only take it to the edge of your property unless given permission). Best course of action would be for a rain garden but I doubt the development will allow you to do so if your neighbors do not have one. In my experience french drains work for a while.....but in time sediment fills them or in very heavy rain events they can even fill with water (depending on size of french drain). We see "grading experts" making mistakes all the time. They (not all inclusive but quite a few) tend to look at the start elevation and the finish elevation and if there is a drop that's good enough without taking into account every single property and the ups and downs that may be on them. Would be a great area to plant wet-soil tolerant ornamental grasses and perennials (or shrubs) with a rock going through the bottom of the ditch with landscape fabric underneath it. Could have stepping stones or boulders going across it for the kids! Bruce

So being an un-meticulous gardener, I often have empty ceramic pots sitting around, and I observed how little it takes to plug up the drain hole, to the point where it will easily hold rain water for days, and even weeks. When potting a plant, I always amend the drain hole with broken pieces of clay pots, rocks, and broken pieces of walnut shells that the squirrels provide. I carefully arrange things to make sure there are multiple channels for the water to escape, before throwing a scoop of potting soil (sometimes mixed with pebbles for even more drainage) over top of it all. As for drilling more holes in clay/ceramic pots, a diamond drill, which you can find at Lowe's or Home Depot, does a quick and slick job. I think I paid about $20 for a 1/2" bit. You'll want to keep it wet when drilling, I just squirt a bit of water from a water bottle periodically.