Can Heavy Rain Damage Drains?

Heavy rain can both reveal existing drain problems and create new ones. While a properly functioning drainage system should handle normal rainfall without issue, extreme weather events and prolonged heavy rain can overwhelm capacity, expose weaknesses in ageing pipes, and cause erosion that leads to collapses. Understanding the relationship between rainfall and drainage problems helps you protect your property.

What to Look For

• Water backing up through drains during or after heavy rain
• Garden flooding in specific areas after rainfall
• Manholes overflowing during storms
• New sinkholes appearing after prolonged wet weather
• Gurgling drains during rainfall
• Damp patches appearing inside after heavy rain

How We Diagnose the Problem

We conduct post-storm CCTV surveys to assess whether heavy rain has caused new damage or exposed existing problems. We check for pipe displacement, joint separation, collapsed sections, and erosion damage. Flow testing during survey helps identify capacity issues.

How We Fix It

We repair any storm-damaged sections using relining or excavation as appropriate. For properties prone to rain-related drainage problems, we can increase pipe capacity, install additional soakaways, or fit non-return valves to prevent backflow during storms.