The Benefits of Preventative Maintenance
By Erin Grenz, Chief Development Officer
Preventative maintenance is essential to the health of a stormwater system. Continually monitoring a system and visually inspecting assets prevents large, unexpected costs that come with stormwater system failure and rehabilitation. Wear and tear are common with stormwater assets especially through changing seasons; it is vital these small-scale problems are fixed before the issue escalates.
Common structural problems are cracks in catch basins, vegetation decay, and sections of broken pipe. Noticing these issues early can prevent them from becoming larger down the line. Within your stormwater system, regularly used assets may decay faster due to their locations in high traffic areas. Catch basins and manholes require replacements and repairs more regularly than overflow control measures because of their frequency of use.
Not all preventative maintenance is structural or repair related. Depending on the property and stormwater assets, stormwater maintenance includes cutting grass and vegetation, removing invasive plants and managing beneficial species. Maintenance can be similar to landscaping but goes above and beyond. Stormwater experts understand your local area’s weather patterns and native species and how the two react.
Small repairs or corrective maintenance are a large part of maintaining a stormwater system, and these costs should be expected and included in preventative maintenance budgets. To ensure your stormwater system functions for the decades in which it is designed, it is essential to notice and correct issues before they become failures. Partnering with a stormwater service provider will ensure that the root cause is found quickly to avoid continual repair.
Property owners can budget for preventative maintenance at an affordable, fixed cost over a period of time instead of neglecting their stormwater system until problems are so large, they require rehabilitation. Frequency of maintenance varies across the nation. Most often stormwater systems should be visited and inspected on a monthly or quarterly basis. During these routine checks, a stormwater professional will conduct a full assessment of the system and individual assets to ensure functionality.
Preventative maintenance is not only intended to notice and repair small issues, but also to keep a stormwater system in compliance with regulations. In every state, the city or county has the right to inspect stormwater assets at any time at least once a year. Continual preventative maintenance ensures that the inspection will go smoothly, which can save you from hefty fines and notices of violation.
A stormwater professional will also act as a liaison between you and the local municipality. If you have received a Notice of Violation, there is often a date by which the corrective action must be completed. While these dates are often reasonable, surprises during construction are common and may delay your project past the expected completion date. Having a partnership with a company like AQUALIS allows us to negotiate the completion date on your behalf, assisting in avoiding additional fines for delay.
Partnering with a trusted stormwater provider like AQUALIS also ensures your stormwater systems are prepared for wear and tear, changing seasons, and any other challenge your site might face. Contact AQUALIS and schedule a FREE consultation with your local representative to learn more.
