A few weeks back we posted about the different types of drains we typically install in our drainage solutions. This week we wanted to focus a little on catch basins.

You know those large concrete drains that are installed in parking lots? Did you know they can also be installed in residential settings?  Catch basins are a great option to alleviate standing water, flooding and erosion due to heavy rain. This is because the holding tank collects and retains the water while the drainage system works to move it.  These drains are capable of getting rid of water fast.


Smaller Catch Basins
These are frequently used in areas that experience water but not necessarily large volumes of water.  As mentioned the purpose is to catch the water and hold it until it can drain appropriately. These basins range in size and shape. They come round, square, rectangle and are typically constructed of plastic.  This smaller basin is installed adjacent to a water spigot allowing for the hose runoff to drain appropriately.

 
Commercial Box Drains
These larger basins are a great solution for homeowners that are experiencing a pond-like effect in their yard when it rains. See the photos below for some recent projects where we installed these catch basins. Concrete catch basins are customizable to the number of inlets and outlets necessary to allow water to flow as needed. Customization after the initial installation is feasible as well to allow for additional drains to be added to the drainage system if needed.  Check out this video of a commercial grade catch basin in action in this residential setting.

 

To summarize, catch basins work well to address issues with standing water.  They also work well for areas that receive large volumes of water in a short amount of time. Due to the design they are able to collect and hold water from other areas (inlets) until it can be drained appropriately in a quick fashion.

When working with contractors verify that they install the appropriate sized basin for the volume of water you are experiencing. Keep in mind that sometimes multiple basins may be necessary and even different types of drains working in conjunction are necessary to resolve the drainage issue at hand.