The sediment trap
Catch basin cleaning
A catch basin is designed to fill up. It is a sediment trap, and it protects the whole system downstream only while there is space left in the sump.
The sump below the outlet pipe exists to catch sand, grit and debris before it reaches the storm line. When it fills to the level of the outlet, it stops trapping anything and starts passing everything straight through, which is when the horizontal runs beyond it begin to silt up. At that point you are no longer cleaning a basin, you are cleaning a system.
Basins on a schedule stay cheap. Basins nobody has opened in a decade tend to arrive as a surprise, usually attached to a flooded lot and a much larger jetting job.
Signs of an overdue basin
- Water backing up around the grate in ordinary rain
- Sediment visible at the level of the outlet pipe
- Odor from a basin holding stagnant water
- Downstream runs that keep needing jetting
- No record of it ever being cleaned
What we do
- Remove the grate and clear debris from the sump
- Vacuum or extract accumulated sediment
- Inspect the structure for cracking and settlement
- Camera the outlet run to confirm it is clear
Inspect the structure, not just the sump
Older basins crack, and their inverts erode. Once soil starts migrating into a basin through a failed wall you get sinkholes in the parking lot above it, which is a considerably larger problem than a silted sump.
Straight answers
Questions about catch basin cleaning
How often do catch basins need cleaning?
Once the sump is a third to a half full, which on most Florida commercial sites means annually. Sites with heavy sand or landscaping debris often need it more often, and that is worth knowing before it silts the system downstream.
What do you do with the material removed?
It is extracted and disposed of through a licensed route. Storm sump material frequently contains hydrocarbons from vehicle traffic, so it is not something to be spread on a landscape bed.
Flat rate, quoted before we start
Let's get it flowing
Call and talk to a person. You get a straight answer on what it is, what it costs, and when we can be there.