CCTV Drainage Survey for Business PArk, Staines
A Surrey business park was a thriving office complex located on the outskirts of Staines. Managed by our client (Michael), the park housed over a dozen businesses, ranging from small accounting firms to a mid-sized tech company. With over 200 people using the facilities daily, the park’s infrastructure was under constant pressure, especially its drainage system.
For the past few years, Michael had noticed occasional minor issues with the drains—such as slow drainage in some of the bathrooms or rainwater not clearing from certain areas of the car park as quickly as it should, especially during periods of heavy rain. While these problems were usually solved with quick fixes, Michael knew that, with an aging drainage system, a more serious issue could be just around the corner.
A major turning point came during a heavy downpour one October evening. The car park flooded, and water seeped into the reception area of one of the office buildings. This caused significant disruption for the tenants, with some of them having to shut down operations for the day. While the flooding was contained, it served as a wake-up call for Michael. He realised that he could no longer rely on reactive repairs and that a proactive approach was essential to maintaining the integrity of the drainage system.
Following a recommendation from another property manager, Michael contacted Your Drain Experts, to schedule a CCTV drainage survey at the Staines location. He wanted to ensure that the system was thoroughly inspected and cleaned before any more serious issues could develop.
Our team scheduled the first CCTV drain survey at the Business Park for the next week. When we arrived, we began by conducting a full inspection of the drainage network, which ran across several buildings and large sections of the car park. Using high-definition CCTV cameras, we fed the equipment through various access points in the drainage system to check for blockages, cracks, or signs of deterioration.
As the cameras snaked through the pipes, Michael was able to view the live footage with our technicians. The survey revealed some concerning findings. While there were no catastrophic blockages or collapses, a significant amount of debris—leaves, silt, and even some gravel—had built up in sections of the system, particularly in the external drains around the car park. These accumulations were likely contributing to the slow drainage and occasional flooding during heavy rainfall.
Rob, our technician, explained that over time, even minor debris buildup can cause serious issues, especially during periods of high water flow. The drains were at risk of becoming completely blocked if the debris wasn’t regularly cleared. Fortunately, the solution was straightforward. We recommended an immediate cleaning of the affected drains using high-pressure water jetting. This would clear the silt and debris, allowing the water to flow freely again.
Michael agreed to the cleaning service, and within a few hours, the job was done. Our team advised Michael to schedule regular CCTV surveys every 18-24 months to keep an eye on the system and prevent any future issues from becoming critical.
The results were almost immediate. Following the cleaning, the park experienced heavy rainfall a few weeks later, but this time the car park drained perfectly, with no signs of flooding or slow water flow. Michael was relieved to see the system working as it should.
In the months following the initial CCTV survey and cleaning, Michael implemented further measures to protect the drainage system. He arranged for the car park to be swept regularly to reduce the amount of leaves and debris entering the external drains. He also installed filters on the drain covers to catch larger debris before it could enter the system.
Reflecting on the process, Michael said, “Switching to a preventative maintenance plan has been one of the best decisions I’ve made for the business park. We were lucky to avoid a more serious issue. The detail on the CCTV drain survey was invaluable because it allowed us to see exactly what was going on underground. I highly recommend this service to any property manager looking to avoid costly emergencies.”
