Things We Find Underground: The Pool Ball
A stormwater drain inspection in Auckland with a twist
You never quite know what the camera’s going to find. This one had us doing a double take.
During a recent stormwater drain inspection in Auckland, our camera came across a pool ball. Fully intact, sitting in the middle of the stormwater line like it had every right to be there.
Somewhere in Auckland, someone’s pool game is missing a ball.
How does a pool ball end up in a drain?
Honestly? We’d love to know too. But stranger things find their way into stormwater pipes than you’d think.
Stormwater systems collect water from roofs, driveways and yards, and anything small enough can follow it in. Open grates, damaged sumps, missing covers and broken pipe joins are all ways in. Once something’s inside, it moves along with the flow until it gets stuck.
Why a solid object causes real problems
A single ball doesn’t sound like much. The trouble is what happens next.
A solid object sitting in a pipe catches leaves, silt and debris as it flows past. Over time, that build-up narrows the pipe until water can’t get through. When heavy rain hits, that water has to go somewhere, and it’s often your yard, driveway or garage.
Why a camera beats guesswork
From the surface, a blocked stormwater drain just looks like water pooling where it shouldn’t. A CCTV camera shows exactly what’s in the pipe, where it is and what condition the pipe is in around it.
That means the right fix in the right place, without digging up half the property to find out.
Signs your stormwater drain needs a look
Water pooling after rain, overflowing gutters or downpipes, slow-draining sumps, a soggy patch that never dries out, or a blockage that keeps coming back. If any of those sound familiar, it’s worth sending the camera down.
Book a Stormwater Drain Inspection in Auckland
Got a drain that’s playing up? Let’s see what’s really going on inside the pipe before anyone picks up a shovel.
Call 0800 99 11 00 or request a quote to book an inspection.
