How to Understand your Drainage System

The drainage system is an extremely important part of protecting your house from the elements but not many people understand exactly how they work or just how important they are so I am going to give you a brief overview.

All waste water from your house goes into the drainage system and then into the main underground drainage system. older houses will normally have two pipes for this, one for soil and one for waste water, and newer houses will typically have just one.
 

Where it all goes

Waste water will normally end up in the underground drainage system except for a few exceptions. in some cases the water will flow into a trapped gully linked to the underground drainage or to a main sewer. In rural areas it may even flow into a cess pit or septic tank. These normally have a metal or plastic grid to keep debris from falling into the trap and blocking it.

Rainwater

Rainwater from gutters needs to be drained separately as heavy prolonged rain could otherwise overwhelm the system. Down-pipes can be connected directly to the underground drainage or they can discharge over the grid of an open gully. From here it is either piped to a soak-away on your property or into a storm drain.

Tips

You as a homeowner are responsible for your own homes drainage system up to the point where it enters the sewer. This means if there are any blockages or damage before this area yourself and at your own expense.