CCTV Drain Survey to identify rat infestation in a commercial complex in Kingston-upon-Thames
Our drainage engineers were called by a commercial complex in the heart of Kingston-upon-Thames, home to a variety of businesses ranging from retail shops to offices. The complex, managed by Lauren B, had been running smoothly for years. However, over the past few months, tenants had been reporting a worrying issue – rats.
It started with just one or two sightings near the rubbish disposal areas, but the problem quickly escalated. Businesses on the ground floor began to complain about hearing scratching noises in their walls, and some even reported rat droppings inside their stores. For a busy commercial complex, this wasn’t just an annoyance, it was a serious health risk and could severely impact the reputation of the entire building if customers noticed the infestation.
Laura had dealt with pest control companies before, and she immediately called in a local exterminator. The pest control team laid traps and bait stations, which seemed to reduce the problem for a short while, but the rats kept coming back. Something wasn’t right. It became clear that the rats were entering the complex from somewhere deep within the building’s infrastructure, possibly the drainage system. Laura realised she needed to take a more comprehensive approach to stop the problem at its source.
After receiving a recommendation, she called Your Drain Experts, because we specialised in CCTV drain surveys and complex drainage problems. Laura suspected the rats were using the underground drains to access the building, and she hoped a CCTV survey would confirm this.
Within a couple of days, a team arrived at the Surrey complex with the necessary equipment to conduct the CCTV drain survey. Using a high-definition camera system, the team began inspecting the complex’s drainage system, carefully navigating through the network of underground pipes. Laura watched the live footage alongside the technicians as the camera explored the dark and often grimy world beneath the building.
Sure enough, within just a few minutes, our drain technician found evidence of rat activity inside the drains. The camera captured images of small openings in the pipes where rats had clearly been entering and exiting. In some sections of the drainage system, the technicians found cracks and holes that had likely developed over time due to wear and tear. These gaps provided an ideal entry point for the rats, allowing them to easily travel through the drainage network and access the building’s walls and floors.
The CCTV survey also revealed a buildup of food waste and debris in parts of the drainage system. This waste had likely been washed down from the businesses above, creating an attractive food source for the rats. The technician explained to Laura that once rats find a reliable food source, they will continue to return, using the drainage system as their main highway.
Laura was relieved to have finally pinpointed the source of the problem. Our technician recommended a two-step solution. First, the drainage pipes needed to be repaired to seal off the rats’ entry points. This could be done using a drain relining process, which would avoid the need for disruptive digging. Second, a thorough cleaning of the drainage system was necessary to remove the food waste and debris that had attracted the rats in the first place.
After discussing the options, Laura agreed to proceed with the repairs and cleaning. Over the following days, our engineers returned to the complex to carry out the necessary work. They relined the damaged sections of the drainage pipes, effectively sealing off the entry points that the rats had been using. The high-pressure water jetting service was then used to clean out the drains, removing any debris or food waste that could attract pests in the future.
Within a week, the job was complete. The results were dramatic. The rat sightings dropped to zero, and tenants reported no more scratching noises or signs of infestation. The drainage system was now rat-proof, and with regular maintenance, Laura was confident that the problem would not return.
Looking back on the experience, Laura said, “I can’t thank your team enough for their thorough and professional service. We’d been dealing with this rat problem for months, and nothing seemed to work until they came in and identified the root cause. The CCTV drain survey was an eye-opener, and I’m so glad we took that step. The team sealed off the rats’ entry points and cleaned the drains, and we haven’t had any issues since. I’d highly recommend them to any business dealing with drainage or pest problems.”
