Cleaning the catch basins fixes the catch points. If water still isn't leaving the property, the problem has moved into the pipe between them.
We jet and vacuum storm lines to clear the sediment, root intrusion, and debris packs that build up over years of neglected catch basins — because everything a full sump fails to catch ends up in the line downstream. This is the second half of the same job, and it's why the two services are usually discussed together.
Storm line service includes
- High-pressure jetting to break up and flush sediment packs
- Vacuum recovery at the downstream catch basin, so debris is removed rather than pushed along
- Clearing of root intrusion at pipe joints
- Identification of collapsed, offset, or crushed pipe when jetting won't fix it
- Culvert and outfall clearing where the system discharges
How to tell it's the line, not the basin
The diagnostic is simple. If we empty a catch basin completely and water still pools in it or drains far too slowly, the sump isn't the problem — the outlet is restricted somewhere downstream. Same goes for a basin that refills within days of being cleaned: material is washing back from a packed line rather than arriving from the surface.
When jetting isn't the answer
Sometimes a line is not blocked but broken. Storm pipe in older Rochester commercial properties can be clay, cast iron, or corrugated metal that has rusted through at the invert, and any of those can collapse, offset at a joint, or crush under decades of truck loading.
When that's what we find, we say so plainly. Repeatedly jetting a structurally failed pipe is a way to spend money without fixing anything — it clears for a few weeks and packs again, and you pay each time. You're better off knowing you need a repair, even though it's the more expensive answer.
Water still not draining after a cleaning?
That's a line problem, and it's usually fixable. Call and describe what you're seeing.
Call (585) 514-5978Common questions
What's the difference between cleaning a catch basin and jetting a line?
Cleaning a catch basin empties the sump — the collection point under the grate. Jetting clears the pipe that runs between basins and out to the discharge point. Basins fill first; lines pack only after basins have been neglected long enough to stop catching.
How do you know whether the line is blocked?
The clearest sign is a catch basin that holds water after being emptied. If the sump is clean and water still won't leave, the restriction is downstream in the pipe.
Can jetting damage older pipe?
It can, if a line is already cracked or offset. We start at lower pressure and increase only as needed, and if a pipe is structurally failed we stop and tell you rather than jetting it repeatedly.