Catch basins or storm drains are certainly not the most complex pieces of equipment that facilities managers must oversee, however they do play an important role in upholding both the health and safety of a facility. In essence, the function of a catch basin is to accept stormwater and snowmelt runoff, provide a bit of basic filtration to that water, and then release the water into either a sewer system or watershed. Most property/facility managers are under the false impression that as long as the stormwater or snowmelt runoff continues to drain, there is nothing to be concerned about.
However, without the proper cleaning and maintenance plan in place your catch basins, eventually they will become blocked and will start backing up. When this occurs, it can cause dangerous flooding that tends to ruin everything in its path including real estate, expensive equipment, and valuable machinery.
Just imagine the issues a flood will cause if your facility is out of operations for any extended period of time. It can be disastrous for any business. Not to mention the damage it can do to the environment.
Speaking of the environment, when catch basins back up and cause flooding, all of the sediment that should have been removed may very well enter into local ponds and streams. These sediments are filled with bacteria, chemicals, and other pollutants that wreak havoc on the local surroundings. To make matters even worse, if the source of the flood is located on your property, you are responsible from a financial standpoint. That can results in thousands if not tens of thousand of dollars in clean up costs and fines. Not to mention that is can also ruin the reputation of your business.
For example, if the story is published in the newspaper or worse yet is broadcast on the local news, the general public will view your business as nothing more than a corporate entity that cares more about the bottom line than you do about polluting the environment. Although this may sound a bit extreme, it is a reality that far too many companies face. The good news is that the solution is a simple one. Have your catch basins cleaned and inspected on a regular basis.
When performing preventative maintenance on catch basins, organizations typically hire environmental companies that specialize in storm drain cleaning and inspections services. Typically speaking, the environment company will send a vacuum truck to remove the solids within the catch basin. Vacuum trucks provide the fastest, most efficient, and most cost effective manner in which to do so. That means both labor and equipment costs are lower than performing the task by hand.
The environmental company will properly remove and dispose of the sediment. It is never a good idea to employ a reactive or run to fail approach. In essence, that means you are only performing maintenance when an actual flood happens to occur. This of course calls for an emergency situation, which is always far more expensive. It also puts the business at far greater risks. Proper catch basin maintenance begins with a bi-annual inspection.
Typically speaking, there are two times of year that makes the most sense. The first is the spring because the salt and sand that treats the roads in the winter tend to clog catch basins. The second time of year is in the fall after all the leaves are on the ground. Leaves also tend to clog catch basins.
If you have any questions about catch basin cleaning and inspection, or would like to schedule service we are happy to help. Jolin Paving & Excavating, Inc. is your New England connection for a vast variety of environmentally related services. Our company has been serving Boston Massachusetts, Southern NH, VT & ME as well as Northern CT & RI since 1952. Please Contact us to learn more today.
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