Mon – Sun: 24/7 Plumbing
4.7-Star Service

24/7 EMERGENCY PLUMBER

(03) 9122 8652

Have you got issues with a blocked stormwater drain? Stormwater drains play a vital role in preventing heavy rainfall or storm disasters. However, they are often not maintained well.

If we can ensure that the drains are cleaned often, we can prevent large-scale flooding. This would also mean clean streets to walk in immediately after the rain subsides. But in most cases, homeowners overlook maintaining the stormwater drains, which requires hiring professionals. Plus, stormwater drain blockages can be a nightmare for the whole street.

So, in this read, we will list down how you can maintain your drain the DIY way, preventing the situation from getting out of hand.

But we should also mention that sometimes, professional cleaning is the only way around a clogged or damaged stormwater drain. And we will talk about everything in this guide today, and the best way to clean stormwater drains!

How to Keep Your Stormwater Drains Clean?

Here we have listed how you can keep your stormwater drains clean.

Man Cleaning Stormwater Drain

1. Keep A Check On The Drain Grates

One of our first tips is to watch the grates of the storm drains and prevent them from getting clogged. The grates can get covered with leaves, stones, and other forms of debris, which could hinder the smooth flow of rain and stormwater.

So, whenever you see any dirt accumulating on the grates, remove that. And by removing, we do not mean just moving it from the top and letting the debris stay on the side. This is because the water flowing from the sides would again lead it on top of the grates, which you’d want to prevent.

You can also keep a strainer on top of the drain. The strainer acts as a filter to prevent debris from entering your stormwater pipes and sewer system. These drains usually collect all the rainwater and lead it to the water treatment plants, which would get treated for reuse.

But this does not happen in most areas, and you will find that the water is generally emptied in some nearby river or creek.

You must realise that any foreign substance in the water also gets dropped there, including plastic and other harmful dissolved or undissolved contaminants. Hence, you must remove all foreign objects from the stormwater drain holes.

In the case of larger drains, you may be unable to open the grates as they would be big and heavy. So, try cleaning them a few times every week, and you should not face the problem of standing water.

2. Use Rakes

You may keep a rake in your house as it can help clean up the gardens, pathways, and the top of the stormwater drain. Especially if there are trees on top of the drain, the growing leaves and twigs could make their way underneath the grates. And a rake would help you remove them.

You may also use a pitchfork to clear away all the debris, leaves, and branches. Ensure you throw them off in a public dustbin or gather them far away from the drain. Alternatively, you can use a cart to transfer the leaves to your garden fertiliser pit, where you can use them to make fertilisers.

3. Ask For Help

If you live near a heavy traffic area, you might see a lot of pollutants that regularly build up on top of these drains.

Such accumulations may include harmful substances like paint, chemicals, dead animals, pesticides, animal remains, and fertilisers. These might, in turn, release toxic chemicals that can be very harmful if touched with bare hands or inhaled.

That’s why it’s essential to take adequate safety measures and ensure you wear protective clothing, gloves, and a face mask while cleaning the drains.

However, we’d strongly advise calling professional services if the storm drain is severely clogged or requires digging to clean up the debris. Please do not try this yourself, as you might be exposed to harmful chemicals.

Professional cleaners will know how to deal with biohazards and follow specific protocols to do the job. They have different tools specially made for this purpose, and you can rest assured that they will do the job correctly.

Here is a list of the few types of equipment that professional services use for cleaning your drainage system:

1. Clam Shell Truck

Also known as bucket trucks, these comprise a two-part bucket attached to a hydraulic machine. The machine lowers the bucket into the drains and removes dirt and debris from your blocked water drain. It is effective and safe, as nobody needs to enter the drain. The bucket is removed and cleaned before repeating the process.

2. Vacuum Truck

As the name suggests, vacuum trucks have vacuum pumps attached to them. Almost all professional stormwater drain cleaner services use vacuum trucks to suck out the debris and clean the area. They are generally used after heavy storms.

3. Water Jetting

Water jetters are used to clean out a drain blockage from your stormwater system drain lines. They remove all the debris collected near the base, ensuring blockages are removed from the affected drain.

Tips To Remember

This section has listed some of the factors you should remember to keep your drains running.

Person Standing Stormwater Drain

1. Refrain From Throwing Leaves Outside

When cleaning your garden or raking leaves off the pathway, try not to throw them outside the boundary walls of the house. The same applies to grass clippings, later used as fertilisers. You should only stack leaves outside if your area has cleaning services that collect them weekly.

If the leaves and debris gather outside your house, they could soon go to the stormwater drains. The water could pull these leaves along if it rains, clogging your drain.

2. Do Not Dump Oil Into The Drains

Do not dump oil into the drains, as that could easily clog the drains. Likewise, if you see oil on the ground beside the drain, clean it up immediately or call the cleaners. Otherwise, the oil could be carried to nearby streams and creeks. Not only that, but it may also lead to build-up inside the drains, which could then cause clogging.

3. Organise A Cleaning Drive

A cleaning drive is a great way to keep the surrounding areas clean and build better relations with your neighbours. Talk to your local authorities and neighbours to organise a cleaning drive once or twice a month.

This would work well for the entire block; no water will collect even if it rains heavily. Plus, you can have a fun time doing this activity together as a community. And if everybody puts in the effort to keep the area clean, they will be very mindful before throwing garbage around the place, especially near the drains.

4. Carry A Dog Litter Plastic

Whenever you are stepping out to walk your pets, remember to clean up after them. If their wastes keep collecting, they could make their way to the storm drains. In most cases, these usually drain empty into streams, contaminating a more extensive water body.

PetSmart wastes can negatively impact wildlife and marine life, as they can contain several chemicals. If your neighbours have pets, inform them about these hazards, too, so that everybody is on the same page.

5. Be Mindful While Applying Pesticides

If you share your garden or lawn boundary with the street, avoid spraying fertilisers or pesticides near the stormwater drains, as they might be carried to the nearby streams. And as we have already mentioned, these can harm marine life and even humans if they come into contact with contaminated water. Hence, be careful while applying pesticides and ensure none reaches the drains.

6. Salt And Sand

Many people use salt and sand in their driveways and walking paths to avoid slippage. However, they can contribute to clogged drains, so we’d suggest cleaning up any excess salt or sand to avoid a stormwater drain blockage.

7. Use Gutter Guards

Installing gutter guards on your stormwater grates on your outdoor drainage system is another way to prevent a blocked drain and water damage. Along with various factors, organic matter and debris are one of the major causes of clogged stormwater drains.

How To Tell If Your Stormwater Drainage System Is Blocked?

Leaves & Other Debris

One of the most common causes of blocked stormwater drains is leaves and other debris that build up over time. This is why regular maintenance is essential to prevent blockages in the further accumulation of debris.

Flooding Or Standing Water

Are you noticing water pooling around your storm water drain? Your drain is likely starting to become blocked. Heavy rainfall can also cause stormwater drains to become overwhelmed, leading to backups and flooding. You may even notice other issues, such as flooding toilets.

Strange Sounds

If you can hear a gurgling sound coming from your drain, it indicates that the water is not flowing freely. If left unchecked, a blocked stormwater drain can lead to serious flooding and damage to your property. As such, it’s important to be proactive in maintaining your drain and clearing away any debris that could cause a blockage.

Cleaning & Maintaining Stormwater Drains

That’s all we had for today. We hope our efforts have helped you find the most suitable method to look after the stormwater drains and prevent blocked stormwater drains.

We’d like to remind you to remove debris from around the drain before heavy downpours. This will prevent the flooding of water, causing damage, which may even become a health risk if not dealt with.

If you have tree roots blocking your stormwater drainage, the best thing you can do is call your local plumbers. They can inspect and repair your stormwater pipe, ensuring there are no leaks or cracks. We also recommend calling plumbers every once in a while to do a thorough checkup of the drain. It is always better to spot issues before they turn severe.

WP Plumbing is happy to assist you with your stormwater drains in Melbourne. Our professional plumbers can assist you with blocked drains, drain cleaning, preventing blockages and many other plumbing services. So please give us a call anytime!

We will leave you to it, but we will be back soon with more informational guides. If you want to share your experience or need more advice, leave a comment below.

See you again!

Blocked Shower Drain? Follow These Steps

Blocked Shower Drain? Follow These Steps

Is your shower drain blocked? We have you covered with our guide on why your shower drain gets blocked and how to clear the clog by yourself!

How To Clean Your Shower Head

How To Clean Your Shower Head

Has your shower head seen better days? Then you need to follow our guide to learn how to clean your shower head DIY at home with a few simple (an natural) ingredients.

How To Stop A Toilet Overflowing

How To Stop A Toilet Overflowing

Is your toilet suddenly overflowing on your bathroom floor? Quick, read our emergency guide for DIY tips to unblock your toilet before the problem gets worse!

WP Plumbing Van
Call Now!