Our backyard catches water from surrounding higher yards and floods after heavy rain at the rear of our yard. The previous owner had installed a catch basin in one corner in the rear of our yard (the lowest corner) which drains out via a underground pipe down and out to sewer in the street. It works great but in heavy rains, the yard still will flood with all the water coming from the yards on three sides opposite into ours via natural slope of all these yards. Eventually, the water will get to the corner drain but water has stood for a day at times sometimes 4-6 inches deep or more while it rains.

I want to help move this standing water to the drain faster.

To help with moving the water that seems to flood in the back along the 90 feet of fenceline more quickly to the drain in the corner, I want to add a perpendicular drain pipe along the fence in the rear of the yard which ties into that catch basin and drain at the corner of the yard which drains out to the street and sewer via 6 inch pipe.

I was thinking solid 4 or 6 inch SCH40 PVC pipe ran along the 90 feet of the backyard tied into the drain at the corner with surface drains every ten feet leading down to the sloped PVC SCH40 pipe which will finally be tied into that drain at the end of the run along the back fence.

My question is this, would it be wise to do a french type drain along that 90 feet span with pipe which has top and bottom holes, with gravel and wrapped to keep debris out and allowing water in? Or would this french drain type configuration be overkill or would it be wise to use a pipe with only the upper holes in the pipe allowing for addition water drainage in addition to the drains leading down to the pipe from above every 10 feet out to the catch basin drain at the end of the pipe run? Or would just using PVC SCH40 pipe with no holes but the drains from above on the surface leading down to the buried pipe leading to the corner drain be the solution.

My concern with using a french drain is that I want to move the water out of the yard to the drain and don't think it would be best to just allow the water to drain down into already heavy saturated clay soil via perforated french drain pipes but I guess that is why I am asking questions here.

I am filling in all low places in the yard leading to the back 90 feet of space and making sure there is plenty of slope in the existing yard for water to run from the house back towards that fence and to keep from having any standing water in the low spots of the yard.

Photos of the yard water problem can be seen here.

http://jackgruber.photoshelter.com/gallery/Yard-Water/G0000RZI.xWU7iNU

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pix of Yard Water Problem