How to Keep Your Stormwater Drains Clean

Most people never give their stormwater drains a second thought. Fair enough, too. But when they block, the damage to your property can be serious. A severe storm forces those drains to their full capacity. Looked after properly, they’ll usually cope. Let them go and flooding is the likely result.

Plenty you can do to keep your stormwater drains working the way they should. Drainpro has put together this guide to help, so here’s how to get yours in tip top shape before winter hits.

How Do Stormwater Drains Work?

When your stormwater drain is working properly, runoff from your property travels through the public system and ends up in an ocean, a lake or a stream. The trouble is, stormwater picks up plenty along the way. Soil, organic matter, litter, garden fertilisers, oil residue from driveways. That debris can clog your pipes and cause flooding. Worse still, it carries pollutants into rivers and oceans, where they damage the natural environment.

The good news is that properly maintaining your stormwater drains is a simple and affordable way to keep your property’s drainage system working efficiently.

Common Stormwater Drain Problems

Wondering whether your stormwater drain is blocked? Check the system itself right after a storm. That’s when problems show up. Water pouring off the gutters during heavy rain, standing water around the property, gutters visibly blocked or overflowing. Any of these signs means it’s worth a closer look. While you’re at it, check the grates. Rust, damage, or trees growing where your stormwater pipe runs all point to a bigger problem, one that needs a qualified plumber or drainage professional to sort out.

5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Drainage System

Keeping your stormwater system clean doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. Run regular checks, call in the experts when something looks off, and small problems won’t get the chance to become big, costly ones.

1. Regularly Clean Gutters and Drains

Dirt, soil and other organic matter are the usual culprits behind blocked storm water drains. When gutters and pipes clog up, the system stops working properly. Water overflows, and your roof or your property’s structure pays for it. So clean your gutters regularly, or get a professional to do it. Gutter guards and filters are another option, and they stop debris collecting in the rain water drain system altogether.

2.  Monitor Waterflow

Want a quick check on your stormwater system? Watch the waterflow. During a storm or heavy rain, note which direction the water gushes. It should flow towards the curb and away from your property. If that flow has changed, something’s probably blocking the pipe, and the Drainpro team can run a full inspection to find it.

3. Regular Jetting

If your stormwater system keeps blocking, a garden hose only gets you so far. What you need is a high pressure jet drain cleaning. It uses pressurised water to blast debris and buildup out of the pipes.

4. Fix Cracked or Leaking Pipes

Sometimes the problem isn’t a blockage at all. It’s cracked or leaking pipes. A small spot repair handles that easily. Bigger damage may need a complete or partial renewal of the drain, depending on how far it’s gone.

5. Stormwater Pipe Relining

Stormwater drains should cope even at maximum capacity. If yours keeps overflowing, though, a simple clean might not be enough. Drainpro can reline your pipes, which restores them to their original condition and often something better. Relining works in residential and commercial spaces.

Drainpro Are Melbourne’s Stormwater Drainage Experts

Stormy season is coming, and Drainpro has everything you need to keep your drains working through it. General stormwater drain cleans, high pressure hydro jetting, pipe relining with drain cameras. Whatever the job, we have the tools and the expertise to do it right. Give us a call on 1300 303 247 or fill out our online contact form and we’ll get back to you.