Downspout and gutter drains
Your plumber doesn’t work on these. Buried pipe in the yard is ours, whether it carries sewage or rain off your roof.
What we do with them
We install new underground downspout drains and repair the ones that have stopped working. Most of the repairs fall into 3 kinds.
- Clogged, usually with leaves and roof grit
- Collapsed or crushed, often by roots or weight on the surface
- Misrouted, draining somewhere it shouldn’t
Why they matter
University of Illinois Extension says it plainly: keep downspouts clear and make sure they drain away from the home. A downspout that dumps at the corner of the house puts roof water where you least want it. A strip of soggy yard along the wall, or a wet basement after rain, can both start there.
The one to check for
Belleville’s wastewater department says a downspout that disappears into the ground is probably connected to the sanitary sewer, and it calls that connection illegal. Older houses across the region may have this without the current owner knowing. It also sends rain into the sewer during storms, the same time backups are most likely. Rules vary by town, and the fix is usually to reroute that water to the yard or a storm sewer.
Finding out where yours goes
Pour a hose into the downspout and watch where it comes out. If it never does, a camera can follow the pipe. A new run is laid with steady fall to a discharge point that won’t return the water to your foundation or send it onto a neighbor’s lot.
Related work
Downspout and Gutter Drains across 77 Illinois towns, including Granite City, Collinsville, East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Alton, O'Fallon, Godfrey, Belleville.
Answers
Downspout and Gutter Drains: common questions
Where should gutters and downspouts drain?
They should drain away from the foundation, into the yard or a storm sewer where your town allows that. Don’t tie them into the sanitary sewer, which Belleville treats as an illegal connection. A buried line should have steady fall to a discharge point that doesn’t bother a neighbor.
How do I know if my underground downspout drain is clogged?
Water spilling out of the gutter or at the seam above ground during rain is the usual sign. So is a downspout that backs up when you run a hose into it. A wet strip along the buried path can mean the pipe has cracked or collapsed further down the run.
How do you fix downspout drainage?
First find out what’s wrong: clog, crushed pipe or bad route. A clog can be cleared. A crushed section gets dug up and replaced, and a misrouted line is rerouted with proper fall. A hose test and sometimes a camera tell you which one you’re dealing with.
Can downspouts connect to a sewer line?
Generally they shouldn’t connect to a sanitary sewer. Belleville’s wastewater department calls it an illegal connection and a major contributor to backups. Some older areas have combined systems with their own history, so ask your town. If yours disappears underground, find out where it goes before the next heavy rain.
How much does it cost to install gutter drains underground?
We don’t list a price, since length of run, number of downspouts, soil and what the pipe crosses change the work. A sidewalk or driveway in the path adds to it. Tell us how many downspouts you have and a representative will talk through an estimate.