The situation

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

A ranch-style home on several acres sits at the end of a long gravel driveway that crosses a dry drainage via a culvert. The home has a crawlspace foundation, a private well and a septic system. During a slow-moving storm, branches and sediment plug the culvert. Water overtops the driveway, cuts a channel across it, and spreads across the lower part of the property toward the house, where it enters the crawlspace through foundation vents.

  1. The homeowners do not attempt to drive across the overtopped driveway; they wait until water drops.
  2. Once water recedes, they inspect the wellhead, find mud around the casing, and switch to bottled water.
  3. They cut back on water use because the septic drain field area is saturated.
  4. A crawlspace check with a flashlight shows standing water, wet insulation hanging from the floor joists, and a soaked vapor barrier.
  5. Cleanup pumps the crawlspace, removes wet insulation and the vapor barrier, and dries the space with dehumidifiers.
  6. A well contractor disinfects the well, and a lab test is done before drinking water resumes.
  7. The driveway is regraded and the culvert cleared and later replaced with a larger one after talking with the county.

The house itself stayed dry above the floor, but the crawlspace needed full drying and new insulation and vapor barrier. Access was limited for a couple of days. The well tested clean after disinfection. The family now checks the culvert inlet before and after every major storm.

Order of priorities on a rural property

  1. Safe access

    Never drive through moving water on a driveway or road. A few inches can push a vehicle off a washed-out surface.

  2. Drinking water

    Treat the well as unsafe until disinfected and tested if floodwater reached it.

  3. Wastewater

    Limit water use while the septic field is saturated to avoid backups.

  4. The structure

    Check crawlspaces and basements, remove standing water, and start drying.

  5. Outbuildings and infrastructure

    Culverts, fences, propane tanks and outbuildings once the house is stable.

Questions this example raises

  1. Who is responsible for my driveway culvert: me, the county, or a road district?
  2. Does replacing or enlarging a culvert need a permit from Douglas County?
  3. Does my flood policy, if any, cover crawlspace insulation and vapor barriers?
  4. Should foundation vents be fitted with covers that can close during storms?

General information for Castle Rock, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.