Overflowing stormwater drain
Cause
Overflowing stormwater drain
Repair
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remove rubbish blocking the drain by pulling it out – avoid pushing it further down the drain. If necessary, rod the drain and try to pull the blockage up
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if drain discharges into the street channel at the kerb, rod back up the drain from the street to clear blockage, then put a hose in the drain at the downpipe connection to flush the blockage out
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if you cannot unblock the drain call a registered plumber or drainlayer
Cause
Tree roots blocking drain
Repair
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blockages caused by tree roots can be confirmed by a registered plumber or drainlayer inserting a CCTV camera on a long cable into the drain
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a short-term solution is for the plumber/drainlayer to cut the roots away with a specialist power tool
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some plumbers/drainlayers offer internal patching solutions once the roots have been removed
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digging up and replacing the affected part of the drain, or the whole length of drain, can provide an effective longer-term solution
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removing the trees is another option
Cause
Stormwater pipe outlet that discharges into street is blocked
Repair
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if drain discharges into the street channel at the kerb, rod back up the drain from the street to clear blockage, then put a hose in the drain at the downpipe connection to flush the blockage out
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if you cannot unblock the drain call a registered plumber or drainlayer
Cause
Drain is too small for stormwater catchment
Repair
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engage a designer or registered plumber or drainlayer to calculate what dimension of stormwater pipe is required for the catchment area and the location
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engage a registered plumber or drainlayer to relay the drain with larger diameter pipes
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an alternative option is to consider on-site alternatives such as a soak pit, detention tank or rain garden
- if constructing a soak pit, follow the guidance in New Zealand Building Code Verification Method E1/VM1. Be aware that construction of a soak pit may require a building consent