The game, televised nationally on ESPN, was halted because of lightning. During the break one of the broadcasters marveled at how well the field was being drained. This same scenario is played out on sports fields across America, from small college stadiums like St. John?EUR??,,????'???s in Collegeville, Minnesota to major league stadiums like Pac Bell Park in San Francisco to recreational areas in Palatine, Illinois The drainage system that has been installed at these facilities is the Multi-Flow system from Varicore. ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s made an incredible difference,?EUR??,,????'?? Broderick said. ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s helped a whole lot and it really drains well.?EUR??,,????'?? Sub-surface drainage is seldom seen and seldom thought about. Items such as turf, bleachers, P.A. systems, scoreboards, and field markings are more visible and get more attention. However, when a downpour two hours before an event turns the field into a mud bowl, the issue of drainage definitely comes to mind. Most site managers can tell horror stories about how the turf was demolished and the soil compacted when an event took place on their rain drenched field. Joe Borrowman, Grounds Supervisor for the Los Rios College District, gives an example of this from the fall of 2000. The American River field was used for three games during two rain filled days leaving the field chewed-up down to bare soil. Mark Altman, agronomist with Altman and Altman Consulting, stresses that well-drained turf is healthier, cheaper to maintain, and more likely to survive rough use.. The quality of the field above depends greatly upon the quality of the drainage system below. The first thing to consider is the system?EUR??,,????'???s total capacity If your field is already saturated with water, and you receive a 3-inch rainfall, then 84,150 gallons of water need to be removed. The field?EUR??,,????'???s owner needs to decide what a reasonable drainage time would be. If the park and recreation department regularly hosts soccer tournaments for out-of-town teams then the designers may wish to drain that field within an hour of the rainfall event. A 12-inch smooth wall pipe could accomplish that. It is more likely that four 6-inch pipes will be employed to do the job. This all assumes, of course, that the field is equipped with a water collection system that is able to collect the water and send it?EUR??,,????'???s on its way in a timely manner. It also assumes that the water is able to get into the collection system readily. A herringbone pattern is typically used when the field has a crown in the center running the length of the field. The purpose of the herringbone is to allow water running from the higher elevation to cross over a drainage line rather than running parallel to the drainage lines toward the edge of the field. If the field is flat, or has less than a .05 gradient (.5% slope) from the center, then a parallel or grid drainage pattern may be appropriate. The drainage lines should be located between 10 and 20 feet apart depending on how quickly you wish to see your field recover. Collection systems that are located near the surface respond more quickly than those that are deeply buried. Four to eight inches is optimal. The system provides a substantial surface area with which to intercept and collect the water and flow rates that get rid of it in a timely manner. A multi-layered filter system protects the collectors from blockage failure and guarantees a long life. A fabric filter prevents the core from filling with sand and dirt. Multi-Flow employs a heavy, needle punched geo-synthetic fabric to accomplish this job. An inch or two of very coarse sand surrounding a fabric will prevent the fabric from blocking. As the water passes through the sand particles, clay and silt are arrested before they reach the fabric filter. Because of this blinding, filter-wrapped drainage medium has received bad press in some circles. However, filter wrapped drainage medium encased in sand is a safe investment. Tom Biddart, Instructor in Turf grass Management Technology at Fairview College, teaches that encasement in coarse sand is the only way to satisfactorily protect a geotextile filter. Sports Turf drainage is a science in need of far more attention than it gets. A well-designed sub-surface drainage system will yield rewarding dividends in attractive, hardy, healthy and cost effective turf.