Category Archives: Environmental

Drainage seems like a relatively simple infrastructure to implement, and of course, it is. However, the underlying principles that govern the behaviour of water on an agricultural surface require some careful understanding.

All soiled ground will have a subsurface water level, known in the field as the “water table”. The ground, very much like the skin, is porous. The mineral particles, and organic matter are clumped loosely together allowing space for both air and water to propagate through. This can be affected by various factors such as ground composition, compaction as the result of wheeled traffic and so on. Ground flooding will occur as a result of two things firstly, the level of the water table exceeding actual ground level, or compaction eliminating the capacity for moisture penetration.

The former essentially implies that the ground is at saturation point it has reached its capacity to absorb water. This is the ideal candidate for effective drainage. Ordinary drainage supplies, such as pipes and channels are designed to decrease the water table level, therefore increasing the amount of water that can be absorbed and leaving the surface of the ground dry and firm. This is done by using subterranean piping to provide a channel for water above a certain height to drain easily into the pipework and run elsewhere, usually into a drainage ditch.