Is this an underground yard drain?

Question

They appear like they should be catching water from the gutter. Do these drain to city sewers? Should they be connected directly to the gutter?

Matthew Paul · Answer

Its probably clogged , thats why its not hooked up . Its terra cotta pipe , its old .

Carini Rochester · Answer

In my area most of these are clogged. Plumbers I've talked to won't even come out and try to clear the clog. I don't think their equipment can clear a tree root. You could put the garden hose in and see if it drains nicely. Also, my city has 'combination sewers.' The sanitary and the storm are combined in one system. During very heavy rainfalls the whole thing gets emptied into Lake Ontario! But usually the pure waters facility can handle the flow and treat it before Lake Ontario gets it. Most places, I believe, have a separate storm sewer and sanitary sewer.

Scott Mac · Answer

The ones I have seen in place on houses built in the 1930s drain into the city sewer. Storm sewer not the one connected to the toilet.

The drain pipes were fitted into the main clay pipe and concrete was poured around the edge of it to seal it.

On one of them I verified it was going into the storm sewer by putting a hose into it and then Listening at the sewer grate on the edge of the curb.

If you think yours is going into the sanitary sewer connected to the toilet, that's a lot of water to put into that system quickly, you might want to do the same listening technique that I did.

Someone mentioned to me many moons ago that in some areas hooking up to these drains had been made illegal. Want to check with your locality regarding that.

I have not seen these on newer homes. Here in Texas they tend to use what are known as swales, just earth burmed up into certain manner to steer the watershed where they want it to go.

If you intend to hook it up it would be smart to make sure it is not blocked either by tree roots or crushed at some point underneath the lawn or someone poured cement down it or something like that.

In other words make sure that it has an exit point for the water.

Maybe there is some other arrangement for it such as watering underneath the lawn or something. Before putting any water it in it would be smart to make sure you know where the water is going to go.

Good Luck!

https://draintechohio.com/preventing-basement-floods-in-old-homes/

Is this an underground yard drain?

Most Popular Reply