Storm drains, home maintenance, flood prevention

How often you should clean your storm drains depends on what’s feeding debris into the system. Leaves, twigs, trash, sediment, and even small debris from nearby construction can build up over time and reduce drainage capacity.

For many households, a good baseline is once or twice a year: typically in the fall (after leaf drop) and again in late winter to early spring (before peak runoff). If your area has frequent heavy rain or your property is surrounded by trees, you may need closer to twice, or even more during extreme seasons.