Catch basin cleaning, including the pipe it feeds
A catch basin is a sump: it is meant to collect debris so the pipe downstream stays clear. We empty the basin, then jet the outlet it feeds, because a clean basin bolted to a packed outlet pipe still floods at the first heavy rain.
Reviewed
THE PROBLEM THIS SOLVES
A yard or driveway basin holding water, smelling, or overflowing during rain.
Why the basin is only half the job
Scooping a basin out takes minutes and looks like a complete job. The outlet pipe leaving it is where the restriction usually sits, and it is invisible from the surface. Cleaning the basin without jetting the outlet is why the same basin floods again next month.
What we take out of a Leon County basin
Oak leaf litter compacted into a mat, silt washed off lawns and beds, mulch, roof grit, and often a layer of standing water underneath it all. Volume surprises people, which is exactly why we photograph the debris beside the open basin before hauling it away.
Signs a basin needs attention now
Water sitting in the basin between storms, a grate that has stopped taking water quickly, odour in warm weather, or sediment visible near the top of the throat. Any one of them means the sump is full and no longer protecting the pipe below it.
REAL CLEAR FLOW JOBS
Catch basin cleaning in Leon County, photographed on the job
3 photographs from Clear Flow crews. More are added as jobs are shot.
Silt and oak-leaf pack filling a catch basin to the rim, the depth of it visible against the wall Catch basin packed to the rim with wet leaf litter and silt sitting above the outlet The same basin emptied to a clear throat with the outlet pipe visible at the floor
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SERVICE
Catch basin cleaning questions
How often do catch basins need cleaning?
Twice a year suits most properties under tree cover here, and annually is the minimum. Basins near heavy leaf drop or freshly mulched beds fill faster, and a basin that has never been opened should be checked regardless of age.
Why does my catch basin smell?
Because organic debris is sitting in standing water at the bottom and decomposing. The smell is a reliable sign the sump is full and has stopped draining down between storms, which means the outlet needs attention rather than the grate.
Can I clean a catch basin myself?
You can lift the grate and remove what you can reach, and that helps. What you cannot do from the surface is see or clear the outlet pipe, which is where the restriction that actually causes flooding almost always sits.
Get catch basin cleaning scoped properly.
We inspect before we quote, so the price answers a defect we can show you rather than a guess.