Storm Drainage Systems
Catch basin repair, pipe installation and replacement, outfall repair, hydro-vac cleaning, and CCTV inspection. The underground infrastructure that moves stormwater off your property and into the approved discharge points.
You can't see most of your storm drainage system. That's the problem.
Storm drainage infrastructure is buried. Pipes, junction boxes, and connectors run beneath parking lots, roads, landscapes, and buildings. Unlike surface BMPs: ponds, swales, and basins that you can walk up to and inspect, underground drainage requires specialized tools and access to evaluate.
This means storm drainage problems are usually invisible until they cause visible damage. A cracked pipe leaks water into the surrounding soil, creating a sinkhole that appears without warning. A blocked pipe backs up during a storm, flooding a parking lot or building that has never flooded before. A corroded outfall pipe fails, creating an erosion crater at the discharge point.
In coastal South Carolina and Georgia, storm drainage infrastructure faces additional stresses. High water tables mean pipes sit in saturated soil, accelerating corrosion on metal components. Sandy soils migrate through pipe joints and cracks, causing voids that lead to sinkholes. Root intrusion from the warm-climate vegetation is aggressive and persistent. And the heavy, concentrated rainfall events common in the region push drainage systems to their design limits.
Many properties in the Lowcountry have storm drainage infrastructure that is 15-30 years old, installed during the building booms of the 1990s and 2000s. This infrastructure is reaching the age where failures become common, and proactive inspection is far less expensive than reactive emergency repair.
What our storm drainage services include.
Catch Basin Repair & Replacement
Catch basins are the entry points for your storm drainage system. They collect surface water from parking lots, roads, and landscaped areas and direct it into the pipe network. We repair cracked and settling catch basins, replace damaged grates and frames, rebuild sumps that have lost capacity, and install new catch basins where additional collection points are needed. Properly functioning catch basins are the first line of defense against surface flooding.
Pipe Installation & Replacement
When storm drainage pipes have failed (crushed, collapsed, severely corroded, or misaligned), we excavate and replace them. We install HDPE, reinforced concrete, and corrugated metal pipe depending on the application, depth, and local requirements. For new construction and drainage rerouting, we install complete pipe systems from catch basin to outfall, properly bedded and backfilled to prevent future settlement.
Outfall Repair & Stabilization
Outfalls, where storm drainage pipes discharge into ponds, streams, ditches, or other receiving waters, are high-stress areas prone to erosion, pipe separation, and structural failure. We repair damaged outfall pipes, rebuild headwalls, install energy dissipation structures, and stabilize the discharge area with riprap and erosion protection. A failed outfall can undermine an entire drainage system and create significant environmental damage.
Hydro-Vac Cleaning
Hydro-vac equipment uses high-pressure water and vacuum extraction to clean storm drainage pipes, catch basins, and underground structures. We remove accumulated sediment, debris, root masses, and blockages that reduce pipe capacity and cause backups. Regular hydro-vac cleaning extends the life of your drainage infrastructure and prevents the kind of sudden capacity loss that causes flooding during heavy storms.
CCTV Pipe Inspection
CCTV inspection sends a camera through your storm drainage pipes to document their internal condition without excavation. We identify cracks, root intrusion, joint separation, corrosion, sediment accumulation, and structural defects along the entire pipe run. The video documentation shows you exactly what's happening inside your pipes and gives us the information needed to recommend the most cost-effective repair approach, whether that's cleaning, spot repair, lining, or replacement.
Junction Box & Manhole Repair
Junction boxes and manholes are the access and connection points in your storm drainage network. They crack, settle, and deteriorate over time, allowing soil infiltration and reducing system integrity. We repair and replace junction boxes, rebuild and raise manholes, seal joints, and restore structural integrity to these critical infrastructure components.
We diagnose before we dig.
Storm drainage repair can range from a simple pipe cleaning to a full excavation-and-replacement project. The difference in cost between these approaches is significant, and the only way to determine the right approach is accurate diagnosis.
We use CCTV inspection to see inside pipes before recommending excavation. We use hydro-vac to clean and expose underground infrastructure before assuming it needs replacement. We trace pipe runs to understand the complete drainage network before proposing modifications.
This diagnostic approach prevents two expensive mistakes: replacing infrastructure that only needed cleaning, and cleaning infrastructure that actually needs replacement. You get the right repair for the actual condition, not an oversized proposal designed to cover uncertainty.
After the repair is complete, we document the work with photographs, as-built conditions, and any compliance documentation your municipality requires. For properties with ongoing drainage infrastructure needs, we offer maintenance agreements that include regular inspection and cleaning to prevent problems before they cause damage.
Who needs storm drainage services?
HOAs and Community Associations
Communities with aging infrastructure from the 1990s and 2000s building booms are seeing increasing pipe failures, catch basin deterioration, and outfall erosion. Proactive CCTV inspection and cleaning programs identify problems before they create sinkholes in roads or flood homes. We help boards plan and budget for infrastructure maintenance before emergency repairs force the issue.
Commercial and Retail Properties
Parking lot drainage failures disrupt business operations and create liability. Blocked or collapsed pipes under paved surfaces are expensive to repair reactively and far cheaper to maintain proactively. We provide inspection and maintenance programs for commercial drainage systems that prevent the emergency calls.
Golf Courses and Private Clubs
Golf courses rely on extensive underground drainage to manage water on and off playing surfaces. Cart path culverts, fairway drainage lines, bunker drains, and pond overflow systems all require maintenance and periodic repair. We work with superintendents to schedule drainage work that coordinates with course operations and turf management programs.
Municipalities and Public Works
Local governments manage miles of storm drainage infrastructure that requires ongoing inspection, cleaning, and repair. We provide CCTV inspection programs, hydro-vac cleaning services, and pipe repair and replacement for municipal storm drainage systems. As a direct-execution contractor, we complete the physical work, not just the assessment.
Storm drainage services by location.
We repair, install, and maintain storm drainage infrastructure across coastal South Carolina and Georgia.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my storm drainage pipes are failing? expand_more
What is hydro-vac cleaning and when is it needed? expand_more
Can storm drainage pipes be repaired without digging up the entire pipe? expand_more
How often should catch basins be cleaned? expand_more
What causes catch basins to fail? expand_more
Ready for a site that thrives?
Request a site assessment. We'll evaluate your storm drainage infrastructure, identify what's failing or at risk, and give you a clear repair plan. No obligation to hire AUE Land for any service work.
fact_check Site Health Audit
No obligation to hire AUE Land for any service work.