Hurricane season brings the potential for heavy rainfall, which can place significant pressure on municipal infrastructure and stormwater pipelines. Since these systems are essential for moving water away from roads and public spaces, dangerous flooding can occur if they’re not performing at full capacity. Protecting your community during storm season starts with ensuring these systems are maintained and operating at full capacity, so you can ultimately reduce property damage, minimize flooding, and maintain public safety.
However, taking a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach to stormwater system maintenance is essential. Addressing problems with emergency & storm prep services before hurricane season begins will allow you enough time to identify and correct problems before they become expensive emergencies or public safety disasters. Having your system inspected and serviced by a professional can reduce the chances of storm-related failures and give you peace of mind when hurricane season arrives. Here are three ways to protect your system before the big storm hits.
Noticing The Signs Of Pipeline Deficiencies
The first step in preventative stormwater maintenance is identifying warning signs that indicate your system may need attention. While signs of an issue aren’t always obvious, stormwater systems can become obstructed, damaged, or weakened, and oftentimes these issues develop gradually. One of the first places to inspect is the municipal storm drains, where you can check to see if leaves, brush, sediment, trash, or other debris have accumulated and are significantly restricting water flow. After a heavy rainfall, these blockages may start to lead to standing water or flooding, so it’s important to have them cleared quickly.
You should also inspect the ground near stormwater systems, as depressions, sinkholes, or soil settling near pipelines can suggest leaks or structural failures with the pipelines. These are urgent warning signs that suggest an investigation should occur as soon as possible.
In addition to standing water and blockages, some other common signs of pipeline deficiencies include erosion around drainage structures and unusual vegetation growth near stormwater pipelines.
Identifying issues before hurricane season gives you an advantage; however, pipeline deficiencies aren’t always obvious, which is why annual inspections are necessary.
Inspection and Cleaning
Even if there aren’t obvious signs of a problem, a detailed CCTV inspection can help you know for sure. This equipment allows inspectors to evaluate the interior condition of the pipes without excavation. The footage will provide a visible view of structural defects, cracks, joint separations, root intrusion, or other problems. If the inspection does uncover an issue, it’s best to find out before storm season in order to allow for adequate time to fix it.
During this process, it’s also a good idea to undergo a professional cleaning to remove debris, sediments, roots, or other debris before they cause a problem. Sometimes, a cleaning is all it takes to significantly improve system performance and reduce flooding risk.
Planning For Repairs
A detailed inspection will provide the information needed to make informed decisions about repairs and long-term infrastructure planning. When stormwater pipes exhibit cracks, leaks, corrosion-related damage, or deteriorating joints, prompt repair is often the best option. The good news is that many issues can now be completed without disruption. Trenchless pipe repair allows municipalities to restore stormwater systems without excavation or impacting above-ground infrastructure, and in many cases, the repairs can be completed within 24 hours. This allows for a quick fix with minimal downtime and no disruption to roadways, driveways, sidewalks, landscaping, or parking lots. It also means little to no interruptions for traffic flow.
If storm season is approaching, it’s time to be proactive instead of reactive. Taking these steps can ensure your stormwater system is ready to handle heavy rainfall. You should always be on the lookout for signs of problems and have your system inspected and cleaned annually. If problems pop up, resolving them quickly with emergency & storm prep services like trenchless repair will help ensure your system is ready to protect your community when severe weather arrives. Plus, trenchless repair isn’t contingent on complex scheduling coordination or weather-related variables.
