# How do I keep dirt out of my driveway drain? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348 "2023-10-10T03:36:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/1 "2023-10-10T03:36:21Z")
My driveway slopes away from the street. And I’m below my next door neighbor by a couple of feet. And I’m at the bottom of a hill, so I eventually get the rainwater from an entire block of houses When it rains, my driveway gets flooded. I’ve been using a pump, but I finally got a drain that is using gravity to send the water farther downhill. The problem is that I get a lot of dirt from next door washed into my driveway, and I need to keep it out of the drain in a reasonably easy way to remove between rain storms. Any ideas? I was thinking something like sand bags but I’m not sure what to make them out of ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/2 "2023-10-10T03:47:10Z")
Maybe something like [this](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Pennington-Straw-Wattle-8-IN-x-8-FT/5013046103) would help? They call it Straw Wattle. It’s made to hold back soil on wet slopes. I think it would trap the soil while allowing water to pass through. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/3 "2023-10-10T03:55:55Z")
Perfect! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/4 "2023-10-10T03:57:03Z")
Glad to help. Let us know if it works for you. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/5 "2023-10-10T14:35:31Z")
nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/6 "2023-10-10T14:44:20Z")
Those things can be very heavy when wet. How large is the drain? If it’s small you might want something that just fits around it. If it it crosses the entire driveway you may need one of those wattles at the top of the driveway. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/7 "2023-10-10T17:41:04Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > The problem is that I get a lot of dirt from next door washed into my driveway, and I need to keep it out of the drain in a reasonably easy way to remove between rain storms. I see SiltSacks used all the time near construction sites: > **[Siltsack® - Terrafix Geosynthetics Inc.](https://terrafixgeo.com/product/erosion-sediment-control/siltsack/)** > > SILTSACK® is a simple and cost-effective solution to prevent clogging of catch basins. SILTSACK® is a sediment control device used \[…\] ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/8 "2023-10-10T19:50:04Z")
It’s about 8" square. There’s a sort of drainage ditch extension that runs by the garage that ends at the drain. It’s maybe 3-4 foot wide there andnout of the way so I can leave the wattles in place until it’s time to clean out the dirt ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/9 "2023-10-10T20:14:36Z")
A combo of straw barrier and geotextile should set you up. The textile will catch what the straw doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/10 "2023-10-10T20:16:49Z")
I think we’ve got a winner folks! I’d never seen the Silt Sacks before. Thanks Machine Elf. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/11 "2023-10-10T21:48:27Z")
On construction slopes, the wattles are generally held in place with wooden stakes. I don’t know if the stakes are included if you buy the wattles or if you have to remember to buy them separately. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/12 "2023-10-11T11:47:00Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > There’s a sort of drainage ditch extension that runs by the garage that ends at the drain. If the drainage ditch is deep enough, putting rocks in the ditch can help decrease the loss of soil over time. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/13 "2023-10-11T13:39:08Z")
More clarification, the ditch is concrete(does that mean it should be called something else?) All the dirt comes from my neighbor’s yard ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-keep-dirt-out-of-my-driveway-drain/991348/14 "2023-10-11T15:01:33Z")
To me the word ditch means raw dirt and rock. Concrete I’d call a drain channel or something like that.