Question
Hi,

I live in San Jose, California.  I recently had my backyard landscaped with plants, sod and an irrigation system (drip and sprinklers).  The sod was recently set down and the landscapers have been watering it frequently.  There are 2 valve control boxes under ground next to the side of the house that are completely full of water (~8 inches deep).  I've been told that the water is draining into these boxes since they are at a low point.  The landscapers have decided to put in a perforated drain pipe from the valve boxes to the drain lines.  Will this fix the problem even during the winter when it rains more?  Should I be concerned about having this water near my house/foundation?  Are the valve control boxes always set next to the house?  If they are a low point, should they be set somewhere else?  Please advise as I'm currently concerned that this will effect the house/foundation.

Thanks
Danny

Answer
Danny,
Many times valve boxes do end up next to the house. i try not to put them in low areas because of the thing you are seeing with the water in yours. Ideally it would be nice to get the things up the hill or whatever so they don't fill with water. Getting the guy that put them in may not be the easiest thing to do. The drain tile  ought to fix the problem, although I don't know why they would use perforated instead of solid, but I am not there to look at it. Even in the winter during the rain the drain tile will work. I assume it is 4 or 6 inch and that can handle plenty of water. The water next to the house should not hurt the foundation. In fact you were probably already getting the water running down the hill into your foundation before. It might even provide a little drainage once the tile gets hooked up. One reason they have so much water in them right now is the new sod. They are probably watering the heck out of it and it has not rooted all the way, so you are getting a lot of run off. I think that after the sod gets established and get deeply rooted and you can back off on the watering, the water in the box will just about go away.
Jim