# Storm Drain Scope and Video Inspection in Denver

A storm drain scope runs a camera through the buried drainage on a property to establish pipe material, condition, grade, sediment load, and where the run actually discharges. On storm systems that last point matters more than people expect, because a large share of private storm drainage has no documentation at all.

- Camera survey of basins, runs, and discharge points.
- Standing water at rest identified and measured.
- Line path traced and marked on the surface.
- Findings shown to you, not just summarised.
- Residential and commercial storm systems.

## What Does a Storm Drain Scope Find?

Sediment, first. Storm lines fill with grit, sand, decomposed granite, and leaf mass, and the camera measures how deep that layer is and how far it extends. That determines whether the answer is a cleaning or something more.

Structural condition, second. Corrugated plastic drainage crushes under vehicle loads and root pressure. Older clay and concrete storm runs separate at joints. PVC installed by a landscape crew is frequently laid without adequate bedding and settles at random points along its length. Each of those has a distinct appearance on camera.

- Pipe material, diameter, and installation quality.
- Sediment depth and how far it extends.
- Crushed, separated, or collapsed sections.
- Root intrusion at joints and fittings.
- Standing water indicating lost grade.
- The discharge point and whether it is clear.

## Why Locating the Discharge Point Matters So Much

On a sanitary lateral, everybody knows where the line goes, because it goes to the main. On private storm drainage, the discharge could be a curb outfall, a dry well, a connection to a public storm main, a swale, or in a surprising number of cases nothing at all, because the line was never finished.

A blocked discharge point makes the entire upstream system fail, and it is the cheapest possible thing to fix once you know where it is. We trace and mark the run on the surface as part of the survey so that the property owner ends up with a record where there was none.

- A curb outfall silted shut behind the sidewalk.
- A dry well that has reached the end of its absorption capacity.
- A line that terminates in the ground unconnected.
- An unpermitted connection into the sanitary system.
- A discharge crushed by later driveway or patio construction.

## How a Storm Scope Runs

1. **Open the access points** Basins, grates, and cleanouts opened and the obvious material cleared so the camera can enter.
2. **Run the camera** Full run from the upstream collection point out to the discharge, recording as we go.
3. **Trace and mark** The path is traced from the surface and marked, so the property has a record of where its drainage runs.
4. **Report with the footage** Findings explained with the video, distances, and the options each finding creates.

## What a Storm Scope Involves

Access is the main variable. A system with proper basins and cleanouts is quick. A system where the only entry is a grate packed solid with silt needs cleaning before a camera can go anywhere, and that becomes part of the visit.

It is still the cheapest step in any storm project. Every repair option downstream of it depends on knowing what is actually in the ground.

Call (720) 935-6221 to book a survey.

## Frequently asked questions

**Can you find where my yard drains actually go?**

Yes, that is a large part of the point. We run the camera and trace it from the surface, then mark the route. On properties where drainage was installed by a landscape contractor years ago, this is frequently the first time anybody has known where the pipe runs.

**Do I need a scope if my drain is just slow?**

A slow storm drain is the early stage of a blocked one. Scoping it while it still passes water is the cheap version of this project. Waiting until it backs up in a storm means dealing with water damage as well as the pipe.

**What does standing water in the pipe mean?**

It means that section is not draining itself, which means the grade there is flat or reversed. Cleaning will restore flow temporarily and the section will silt up again, because water that stops moving drops the sediment it is carrying. The fix is grade correction, not repeat cleaning.

**Who owns the storm drain on my property?**

In almost every case across the Denver metro, the storm drainage inside the property line is private. Area drains, trench drains, downspout lines, private catch basins, and the pipe carrying that water to the connection point are the owner's responsibility. The public system generally begins at the connection in the right-of-way.

**Are you the city stormwater department?**

No. Denver Sewer and Water is a private, family owned and operated company. We are not Denver Water or the City and County of Denver. We work on the privately owned storm drainage on your property. The public system in the street belongs to the municipality.

## Related Storm Drain Services

- [Storm Drains in Denver](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/storm-drains/denver-co) The full storm drainage lane: inspection, cleaning, repair, and replacement.
- [Storm Drain Cleanout](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/storm-drains/storm-drain-cleanout) Clearing silt, gravel, leaf mass, and root growth from storm lines and basins.
- [Storm Drain Repair](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/storm-drains/storm-drain-repair) Fixing collapsed, offset, root-bound, and separated storm drain runs.
- [Storm Drain Maintenance](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/storm-drains/storm-drain-maintenance) Scheduled cleaning and inspection that keeps a private storm system working.

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Denver Sewer and Water is a privately owned, licensed and insured plumbing contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Denver Water, the municipal water utility, or any government entity. To pay a municipal water bill or reach the public utility, visit denverwater.org.

Source: https://www.denversewerandwater.com/storm-drains/storm-drain-scope-video-inspection