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Keep rainwater out of your basement

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1A downspout has one job

A downspout carries water from the gutter down to the ground without letting it drip or splash down the building's own wall — the point at the bottom, where it discharges, is exactly where drainage problems start or stop.

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2A rain garden is engineered, not decorative

Rain gardens are designed landscape features that reduce the flow rate, total volume and pollutant load of runoff from roofs, driveways and compacted lawn, using plants and engineered soil to retain and slowly release stormwater instead of sending it straight to the storm drain.

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3Bioretention is the technical name for the idea

The broader engineering term for a rain garden's approach is bioretention: using vegetation and soil layers deliberately to capture and treat runoff on site, a practice EPA promotes specifically to reduce the burden on storm sewers.

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4Grading is the invisible fix behind both

Grading (deliberately shaping the ground's slope) is what determines whether water reaches a downspout's discharge point or a rain garden at all, instead of pooling against the foundation first — it's earthwork done before any visible feature goes in.

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