How Often Should Your Storm Drain Be Cleaned?

You know those openings you see on roadways and parking lots, often along curbs or covered by a grate? Those are storm drains, also called catch basins. You’ve probably seen a ton of them but may not know their job is to collect rainwater. During heavy rains, you’ll notice these storm drains are strategically located in places where gravity will pull rainwater right to them. From here, the water flows to streams, lakes or eventually rejoins the groundwater through sumps.

Since rainwater often drags dirt, leaves and other debris with it, these catch basins can become blocked. If you notice flooding in the street or yard near you, check the nearest catch basin to see if the opening is free of trash. In the winter, snow could even be built up at the opening causing a blockage. In these cases, you can call Kaiser-Battistone. We have the tools to break up stubborn debris, and our hy vac trucks have the ability to reach great depths to pump out anything that has fallen into the catch basin itself.

Start An Annual Routine
We recommend cleaning out storm drains once a year. Unlike water that goes down the drains of your home or office, the water in catch basins does not undergo a filtration process before reaching local lakes and streams. Therefore, it’s really important to keep these clean and free from contamination. You can do your part by never tossing litter or hazardous materials into a storm drain. If you catch anyone doing so, you should call your local authorities. We’re getting into the rainy season so it shouldn’t be surprising when storm drain issues arise. Kaiser-Battistone is available to clean and service your catch basins, so don’t hesitate to call us when those April showers hit.