When we built our new home about three years ago we poorly designed the front porch, sidewalk and yard and have created a drainage issue.  To complicate the issue all our utilities and phone lines come in through this area.  Surface water does not pool in the area too bad but what I think is happening is water is getting down to the fiber optic cable (that was bored in about 18 months ago) and running along the bore hole to the house.  Then it hits the house foundation and pools against it until it is above the level of the basement wall and then it leaks in between the sill plate and foundation.  I'm to the point of excavating all the river rock and muck out of the area so that I can slope/drain everything to the center.  At the center I will bury a large tank with a sump pump in it.   This way I could drain the water away from the house without building the dirt up against the masonry and keep it below the top of the foundation/basement wall.  Am I crazy to think this might work?

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2014-06-03 17.16.44.jpg (155KB - 56 downloads)

2014-06-03 17.16.53.jpg (173KB - 73 downloads)