Is Your Storm Water Drain Blocked?

What are storm water drains? 

Your home’s storm water drain is there to direct water runoff away from your property in the event of heavy rainfall. The system typically involves a downpipe running from your roof to a series of underground pipes, which funnel excess water into street gutters.

This is necessary to prevent water from collecting on your property, which can lead to flooding. As well as being extremely inconvenient, flooding has the potential to cause damage to your property, including erosion. It can also create a hazard on nearby roads, footpaths and neighbouring properties. 

What causes a blocked storm water drain?

In short: if pools of water are appearing around your house or yard after rain, it’s likely that a blocked storm drain is the culprit. For your safety and that of other people in your neighbourhood, it’s essential that you have the problem dealt with. 

There are a number of possible causes of blocked storm water drains, the most common one being a build-up of organic matter. Blockages can also be caused by problems with the pipes themselves – particularly the underground ones that are hidden from sight. Old piping can become weak and corroded, and events such earth tremors can cause pipes to shift and become misaligned. 

Loose organic matter  

Leaves, dirt, sticks, bark and other debris can all be washed into your storm drain by a heavy downpour, and are a common cause of blockages. A storm drain blocked by loose material is usually not difficult to fix if dealt with in a timely manner.  

Intruding tree roots

Tree roots can intrude into small cracks in your underground pipes, eventually over growing to block the flow of water. Read more about this issue and its complications here. 

What should I do about it?

Preventing storm drain blockages

You can minimise the amount of leaves and other garden debris that goes down your drain by removing excess loose matter from your garden on a regular basis. This includes removing leaves from your roof gutters. Gutter guards or covers can help filter out leaves, but it’s still important to clear your gutters a couple of times a year.

Professional unblocking and clearance 

Even if you take steps to prevent blockages, there’s no foolproof way to completely avoid them. Once a pipe becomes blocked, it’s unlikely to unclog of its own accord – in fact, the problem will often worsen over time as additional debris lodges around the blockage. Ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away can end up costing you more in the long term than dealing with the problem straight away.

The easiest and most effective way to get a blocked stormwater drain sorted is to have it looked at by a professional drainage technician. The team at DrainPro have extensive experience in blocked stormwater drains using CCTV camera technology to locate the source of the problem and high pressure water jets to dislodge hard-to-access blockages. 

To find out more about DrainPro’s stormwater drain cleaning and clearing services, give us a call today on 1300 620 273, or request a quote using our online form.