What Should You Know About Maintaining Your Stormwater System?
If you live in a rural area, you may have already learned the hard way what might happen when a stormwater system is improperly maintained. Built-up debris like leaves, sticks, and litter can clog your stormwater system and lead to foundation-damaging flooding. Fortunately, maintaining a healthy stormwater system doesn't need to be a complicated or arduous process. Read on for a few tips and tricks you can use to keep your stormwater system draining perfectly for years to come.
Check it on a Regular Basis
As with most things in life, a bit of preventive maintenance and regular observation can help you avoid all but the most unexpected repairs. This means you don't want to take an "out of sight, out of mind" approach with your stormwater system.
First, you'll need to know exactly where this system is. Knowing how your property drains and where this water goes once it leaves your yard or driveway can be the key to preventing flooding, sewer backups, or worse. Survey your property for culverts, ditches, or drain grills to get an idea of what you'll need to keep an eye on.
Next, remove any debris that is blocking water access to these drains. As water flows through your yard or driveway, it often brings with it small pieces of gravel, dirt, leaves, twigs, and other detritus. Moving as much of this debris out of the water's path can reduce the frequency with which you'll need to have these drains clean and will ensure that stormwater has unimpeded access to its exit routes.
Clean it Out
Keeping the drainage pathways clear can mean you won't need to have your stormwater drains pumped nearly as often as someone who performs no maintenance, but it's still a good idea to schedule cleanings on an annual or biennial basis. This process involves using a heavy-duty pump or vacuum (similar to the one used to pump septic tanks) to remove any debris or detritus from the bottom of your storm drain. This improves the health of your system and prevents the wear and tear that can occur when water forces sharp sticks, rocks, and other objects into your stormwater system at a high rate of speed.
Get Professional Guidance
If, despite your best efforts, your stormwater system doesn't seem to be working as well as it should, you may want to seek some advice from a system professional. By surveying your yard and your existing system, a stormwater engineer can help you design a more efficient and effective way to remove runoff from your property as soon as rainwater hits the ground. Contact a service, like FABCO INDUSTRIES INC, for more help.
