How to Clean Your Stormwater Drain

Not all precipitation that occurs seeps directly into the soil. A stormwater drainage system on your property is specifically designed to drain the water that is in excess on your property. Most of the water that runs through the drain system comes from storms, which is why the drain is named a stormwater drain. It is important that your stormwater drain is functioning properly in order to reduce the chance of flooding when a severe storm occurs. If flooding occurs on your property due to an improperly working stormwater drain, it can cause a lot of damage that can be costly to repair. This means that it is essential that you properly maintain your stormwater drain and know how to clean it.

Cover

In order to get access to your stormwater drainage system, you will first need to pry off the cover that is present over the drain. You can normally pry off the cover using a screwdriver that has a flathead. When you take off the cover using the flathead, you will now have access to the actual drain. The cover is designed to keep some debris out, but it is not always effective.

Removal 

Removing debris from the stormwater drain is done most effectively with the use of your hands. This means that it is recommend you cover your hands and arms with long rubber gloves and reach into the drain to remove any debris that you can catch. Using any type of tool is not quite as effective or as efficient as simply using your hands. You can get a better grip on the debris that exists in the drain when you grab it using your hands.

Scrub

Once you have removed all the debris that exists within the drain, you can then clean the drain using a toilet cleaner. It is suggested that you use a toilet bowel cleaner when scrubbing out this type of drain. Toilet bowel cleaners are designed to get rid of the scum that exists within drains. It is suggested that you apply the toilet cleaner directly to your brush. Make sure that you scrub the entire surface of the drain that you can reach. There will be some parts of the drain that are out of reach, but you will do a sufficient cleaning job if you only clean the areas that you have access to.

Rinse

It is important that you do not forget to rinse out the stormwater drain after you have used a toilet bowel cleaner to scrub the grime free. By rinsing out the drain, you can make sure that no debris is left behind.