Important Reasons to Schedule Annual Storm Drain Cleaning

As a home or business owner, it’s important to make sure you’re taking care of your property and covering the little things in addition to the big things. One of the most commonly overlooked elements of property care is storm drain maintenance. Partnering with a local storm drain cleaning service in Lancaster, NY will ensure this crucial job gets done right.

A storm drain that goes unattended could have issues with buildup of sediment or debris that could restrict the flow of water, resulting in flooding in the surrounding area because the drainage system will easily get backed up.

These backups can cause other significant problems, including flooding in basements and streets. There are a lot of areas that will need detention tanks inside properties to temporarily capture stormwater runoff during heavy rains. Storm drains are designed to collect stormwater runoff from roadways to transfer it to outfalls, significantly reducing the risk of overwhelming the sewer system.

Maintaining and improving storm drains is the responsibility of landowners in most cases. It is illegal to block off, close or alter these drains in a way that could affect the capacity of stormwater transportation, and property owners are also liable for any damage that occurs up or downstream as a result of their lack of maintenance.

We recommend having your storm drain cleaned annually. Here are just a few of the primary benefits of doing so:

• Significantly reduced risk of flooding, especially in areas that have a lower elevation and are therefore more susceptible to issues caused by sediments and debris in storm drains
• Long-term financial savings, as you won’t have to worry as much about repairs and rehabilitation after costly flooding damage
• Minimized exposure to water contaminants that can be found in stormwater
• Reduction of ice patches that form as a result of water pooling around storm drains and then freezing (which can be a significant safety risk)
• Environmentally-friendly water collection and diversion, as the water sent through storm drains can be used for putting out fires and watering plants or be sent to treatment or filtration facilities to be put back into the municipal drinking water system
• Reduced likelihood of flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas
• Avoiding damage to highways, property, streets, sidewalks, basements and other infrastructure, as well as cars parked in streets
• Improved beauty and aesthetics in your neighborhood, as there will not be as much of a risk of flooding

Catch basins and storm drains should be cleaned out before the storage area reaches 50 percent of its capacity, just to be on the safe side. After it gets to that level, the debris will start to wash out into the sewer pipes. Cleaning of any of these areas should be performed by a professional contractor—it’s not a good idea to try to take on this task yourself as a homeowner.

Interested in learning more about the benefits of storm drain cleaning and how to get the job done right? We encourage you to contact Macken Services, Inc. today. Our company provides local storm drain cleaning service in Lancaster, NY, and we’d love to tell you more about what we can do for you.

Categorised in: Storm Drain Cleaning

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