What it usually means
| Leaves and needles on the grate | The water cannot get in. Clear the top and it drains. |
|---|---|
| A catch basin full of silt | The box under the grate is meant to trap sediment. When it fills to the outlet pipe, the outlet blocks. |
| A blocked outlet line | The basin is clean but water stands in it. Roots, silt or a crushed pipe between the basin and the street. |
| A failed sump pump | A drain at the bottom of a sloped driveway or basement stairwell usually runs to a sump. If the pump has failed, the water has nowhere to go. |
| Drain tile that is full | Water at the base of the foundation wall rather than at a drain points at the perimeter drain. See drain tile and sump before the rains. |
What to check yourself
- Clear the grate. Do it before the forecast rain and again during it if you have trees.
- Lift the grate and look in. If you see sediment near the level of the side pipe, it needs cleaning out.
- Scoop out what you can reach with a trowel and a bucket. Do not wash it down the outlet.
- Run a garden hose into the basin. If the water level rises instead of holding steady, the outlet line is blocked.
- If there is a sump, lift the lid and check the pump runs when the float lifts.
Call a plumber if
- Water is reaching a door, garage or basement stairwell
- The basin is clean and still will not drain
- A sump pump is humming without pumping, or silent
- The same spot floods every year
Call 1-800-604-0631, any hour.
What fixing it costs
Outdoor drains vary too much for one flat price. Most are hourly: $289 for the first hour on site and $189 an hour after. A basin that needs cleaning out and a short outlet line cleared is often done within that first visit.
Longer lines, heavy silt and roots may need hydro jetting. Sumps are covered under sump cleaning and sump pump installation.
A real example: Pure Mechanical Group's write-up of a Burnaby catch basin that needed more than cabling.
Questions people ask
Whose drain is it?
A drain on your property is yours, along with the pipe to the property line. The catch basin in the street is the city's. Report a blocked street drain to your municipality.
How often should a catch basin be cleaned?
Once a year, in early fall, is enough for most houses. Under big trees or on a gravel driveway, check it twice.
Can outdoor drains connect to the sewer?
They should run to the storm system, not the sanitary sewer. In older homes the two are sometimes combined, which is one reason basements back up in heavy rain.