Stormwater and Drainage Hampton Park

Clay and water do not mix

Hampton Park's heavy clay drains slowly, so stormwater that is not carried away properly sits around foundations, ponds on lawns and finds its way under floors. Broken stormwater pipes make it worse by leaking water into the ground right next to the house.

Common stormwater problems

Downpipes overflowing at the base, pits full of silt and leaves, driveway grates that flood, water pooling against walls, damp subfloors and stormwater pipes blocked by roots or crushed by vehicles. Older homes often have earthenware stormwater lines that are cracked and full of soil.

How we fix them

We clear stormwater lines with a jetter, camera-inspect them and repair or replace broken sections. We install new pits, grated channel drains across driveways and agricultural drains to carry water away from the house. All drainage work is done to the plumbing regulations and connected to the legal point of discharge.

Downpipes and pits

Each downpipe should connect to a sealed stormwater pipe, not just drain onto the ground. Downpipes that discharge beside the slab soak the clay under the footings, which can lead to cracking. We reconnect loose downpipes, add pits where water collects and make sure everything falls to the legal point of discharge.

Older earthenware stormwater

Homes from the 1970s and 1980s often have clay stormwater pipe with the same root and joint problems as the sewer. Replacing broken sections with PVC keeps water flowing away from the house.

Ponding in the backyard

Water that lies on the lawn for days after rain may need an agricultural drain, a grated pit or regrading. We look at where the water comes from and design drainage that fits the block and connects legally.

Rainwater tanks and overflow

Tank overflows must also connect to the stormwater system. We connect tank inlets and overflows properly so water does not spill beside the house.

All our stormwater work is camera-checked and tested before we leave.

We clean up and leave grates and pits clear.

Hampton Park soil and pipes

Hampton Park sits on heavy grey clay over sandier ground towards Lyndhurst, and that clay swells in a wet winter and shrinks and cracks in a dry summer. The older homes west of Hallam Road were mostly connected with earthenware sewer pipe in short lengths, and every joint is a place for roots to get in once the ground moves. Galvanised steel water pipe from the same era rusts from the inside, narrowing the bore and eventually leaking. On the newer estates, PVC drains are tougher, but trenches that were not compacted properly can settle and leave dips that hold grease and paper. We use a drain camera and pressure testing to see what is actually happening rather than guessing.

From your call to the finished job