Drainage requires an open inlet, a working path and a viable outlet
A well-designed system can still lose performance when leaves, mulch, sediment, roots or landscape changes block the way water reaches or leaves it.
Inspect the complete path
- Collection area — does the grade still bring water toward the intended inlet or swale?
- Inlet — is the grate visible and clear?
- Conveyance — are there signs of blockage, crushing, separation or trapped sediment?
- Outlet — can water discharge without backing up, eroding or affecting a neighbor?
Catch basins and grates
The visible grate does not determine the whole system’s capacity. Pipe size, slope, fittings, downstream restrictions and temporary surface storage all matter. Keep filter rings, river rock and surrounding grades from burying the inlet.
Swales and dry creek beds
A dry creek bed must preserve its swale shape. Rock slows and protects the flow path but does not eliminate sediment, leaf or weed maintenance. Restore displaced stone and remove accumulated silt without flattening the designed channel.
After major rainfall
Document where water entered, how high it rose, how long it remained and where it discharged. Photos taken during or immediately after the event are more useful than a dry-weather description.
When maintenance is not enough
Repeated overflow, new erosion, sinkholes, standing water, pipe settlement or downstream conflicts may indicate a design, capacity or site-condition issue requiring professional evaluation.
Related: Residential Drainage Design; PVC vs. Corrugated Pipe; Retaining-Wall Drainage; Landscape Establishment.