But the soakaway itself was still full. The water level didn’t drop. “Most soakaways have a second access,” Mabel said, pointing to a faint square outline in the lawn.
Tom dug up the turf. Underneath was a concrete lid with a metal handle. He hooked it with a crowbar and lifted.
He replaced the concrete lid, buried the inspection cover, and reattached the downpipe grate. That night, rain hammered down. Tom watched from the window. The puddle didn’t form. The water vanished into the earth. how to clear a blocked rainwater soakaway
He cheered. Mabel clapped from the fence.
Mabel grinned. “Then listen close. Here’s how to clear a blocked rainwater soakaway.” Tom followed the downpipe from his gutter to the ground. There, hidden under a plastic grate, was the pipe leading underground. But the soakaway itself was still full
Thump. He hit something soft. He twisted the rods, pushing and pulling. After ten minutes, a plug of mud and sludge popped free, and murky water burped out.
“Right,” he said. “I’ll do it myself.” Tom dug up the turf
He then fetched a bucket and bailed out the filthy water. As the level dropped, he used a garden trowel to scrape away the silt cap from the top layer of stones.