Cleaning Catch Basins Around My Farm

August 21, 2020

There's always so much to do around a working farm - this week, my outdoor grounds crew is taking good advantage of the cooler, drier weather to get lots of chores completed.

One of the tasks we do at least once a year is clean the catch basins and storm drains that help to prevent flooding, ponding, and possible road erosion from occurring. Keeping them clear is very important, whether they’re on your property or in front of your home on a public street. A lot of rain is naturally soaked into the ground, but if the soil is completely saturated, the water runoff doesn’t have anywhere to go unless cleared drains are nearby.

Here are a few pictures of this process.

: While many of the chores around my farm include keeping the gardens, groves, allees, and paddocks well-manicured, we also have to maintain the outbuildings, fences, and carriage roads.

: My catch basins are covered with bluestone caps. If you have catch basins or storm drains on or near your home’s property, be sure they are checked and cleaned regularly and especially before a storm.

: Grated drain coverings are on the sides. The purpose of a catch basin is to collect debris, leaves, and other objects that are moved by flowing water. Keeping these basins clean prevents water-logging and ponding in the surrounding areas.

: The water comes from other drains on higher ground, such as this one on my driveway.

: It also comes from the gutters.

: And from regular storm runoff. We’ve had a few strong rain showers since Isaias, and water rushes downhill into the catch basins.

: These caps are extremely heavy, so Chhiring uses our trusted Kubota model M7060HD12 tractor in the signature bright orange color with the pallet fork attachment to carefully remove the bluestone cap from the basin opening.

: This is the catch basin. I have more than 100 catch basins around the farm. They are typically located at low spots along road edges. Most catch basins have some storage in the bottom that never drains to an outflow pipe. This area traps sediments, debris, and other particles that can settle out of stormwater. The bottom of this catch basin is filled with gravel that needs to be removed.

: Chhiring uses several different sized shovels to clean the catch basins.

: The fork is removed from the tractor and replaced with the Kubota front loader bucket.

: This Kubota front loader bucket is so useful around the farm – it can carry hundreds of pounds.

: Chhiring clears the basin one shovel at a time. The collected gravel can then be used to fill any bare spots and potholes on the carriage road.

: Here is a closer look at the collected gravel and sediment. Each shovel full is at least 15-pounds, especially when wet.

: According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, basins need cleaning if the depth of solids reaches one-third the depth from the basin bottom to the opening of the lowest pipe. Chhiring removed a lot of debris.

: Several areas along the carriage road need some filling. This spot is down by my chicken coops and vegetable garden.

: Chhiring unloads the gravel starting at one end and continues down the length of the area until it is once again compacted and level with the rest of the road.