Signs your storm drains need cleaning
- Water pools in the yard, driveway or walkway long after rain stops
- Gutters overflow even though they are clean, which can mean the downspout line is blocked
- Catch basins are full of leaves, sediment or trash
- Water flows toward the garage, foundation or building entrance during storms
- Grates are covered in debris or plant growth
- A channel drain across a driveway fills and spills over in heavy rain
What we clean
Yard and area drains
Small grated drains in lawns, planters and patios collect leaves, mulch, soil and roots. Once the pipe beneath fills, the drain stops working entirely.
Catch basins
Catch basins have a sump below the outlet pipe that is designed to trap sediment. When that sump fills, sediment flows into the pipe and builds up there instead.
Channel and trench drains
Long linear drains across driveways and garage entrances fill with sand, gravel and debris from vehicles. Both the channel and its outlet need to be cleared.
Downspout and drainage lines
Buried pipes that carry roof water away from the house often collect shingle grit, leaves and roots. If the line is blocked, water backs up and spills next to the foundation.
How storm drains are cleared
We start by removing debris from grates, catch basins and channels by hand. Then we clear the pipes. Light blockages can be cleared with a cable. Lines packed with silt and sand may need hydro jetting, used to work the material back to an access point such as a catch basin, where it is collected and removed instead of being pushed out toward the street. Roots are common in buried drainage pipes, especially in older yards, and may call for root cutting.
If a line will not clear or keeps refilling, a camera inspection can show whether the pipe is crushed, separated or sloped the wrong way.
Storm drains and sewer lines are separate systems
In Long Beach, as in most of Southern California, storm drains and sanitary sewers are separate. Storm drains carry rainwater and runoff untreated toward the LA River, the San Gabriel River and the ocean. Sewers carry wastewater to treatment. That means only rain belongs in a storm drain. Never pour oil, paint, soapy wash water, pet waste or chemicals into one, and never connect a storm drain to a sewer line or a sewer fixture to a storm drain.
That is also why debris we clear from storm drain lines is collected and removed, not washed downstream.
When to schedule
The best time to clean storm drains is in September or early October, before the rainy season, which runs roughly from October to April in the Long Beach area. A second check after the first major storm catches problems before the heaviest winter rains. Properties with large trees, gravel areas or a lot of vehicle traffic may need attention more often. If you manage several properties, adding storm drains to a preventive maintenance plan keeps them on a predictable schedule.
Storm Drain Cleaning in Long Beach, step by step
- 1
Walk the drainage system
We locate grates, basins, channels and outlets, and ask where water collects during storms.
- 2
Remove surface debris
We clear grates, catch basin sumps and channels by hand.
- 3
Clear the pipes
We cable or jet the lines and collect the material that comes out.
- 4
Test and report
We run water through the system and let you know about any damaged or poorly sloped sections.
Storm drainage on Long Beach properties
Much of Long Beach is flat and, along the coast, close to sea level, so rainwater does not always drain away on its own. In Belmont Shore, Naples and the Peninsula, wind-blown and tracked-in sand fills yard drains and channel drains faster than leaves do, and shallow groundwater in some coastal areas leaves water fewer places to go during a heavy storm. Low-lying yards, sunken driveways and garages built below street level anywhere in the city depend on their drains working the first time it pours.
Because storm drains here lead to the rivers and the ocean, keeping private drains clear of debris and pollutants also keeps that material out of local beaches.