How Sewer and Culvert Cleaning Works
Storm and sanitary systems fail slowly. Sediment settles in catch basin sumps, grease coats sanitary laterals, and culverts fill with silt and debris after every big rain. Cleaning reverses that with two tools working together.
- The jetter. A high-pressure sewer jetter on a hose reel pushes a nozzle up the pipe. Rear-facing jets scour the walls and pull the hose forward, dragging loosened material back to the structure.
- The vacuum. A vacuum truck pulls the sediment, grease and water out of the sump or manhole and into a sealed debris tank.
Our crews run both from the same trucks we use for vacuum truck services. When a cleaning call turns out to be a sewer backup tied to an insurance claim, the job moves to our 24/7 emergency hydrovac crew.
Catch Basin Programs for Municipalities and Property Managers
A program is a scheduled cleaning of every basin on a site or across a portfolio, usually in spring and fall. Here is how ours run:
- Inventory. We map every basin, hood and oil-grit separator, often from your site plan.
- Baseline. First visit records sediment depth and condition for each structure.
- Clean. Vacuum to the floor, flush outlets, remove floatables.
- Document. Before and after photos, depths and condition notes per basin.
- Report. One file per program with disposal records, ready for an insurer, auditor or municipality.
City of Toronto catch basin program on Danforth Ave in 2024: dozens of basins into the 6,000 gallon truck, first-visit inspection pass. That’s the format every program follows.
Field note from our crew
Nine times out of ten, this is where the previous contractor cut a corner: they vacuumed the water and left the sediment. The basin looks empty from the grate, everytime, until the next storm washes the grit downstream.
Culvert Flushing vs Culvert Replacement
| Situation | Flushing | Replacement |
|---|
| Silt and debris blockage | Usually fixes it in hours | Not needed |
| Partial collapse or crushed section | Temporary relief only | Required |
| Roots or ice jams | Flushing plus cutting nozzle | Rarely |
| Typical cost | $1,350-$2,000 for a single culvert | Tens of thousands plus permits |
A packed 24 inch culvert under a Bramalea access road was flushed and vacuumed in 5 hours for $1,950 CAD. No replacement needed. We always flush and inspect before anyone talks about digging a culvert out.
What Affects Sewer and Culvert Cleaning Cost?
- Number of structures and how much sediment is in each.
- Pipe length and diameter for culvert and sewer flushing.
- Disposal volume, billed by load at licensed facility rates.
- Traffic control on municipal roads and highway shoulders.
- Timing: spring and fall programs scheduled ahead cost less than storm-day emergencies.
We work with Toronto Water, Peel Region and Halton Region requirements for slurry disposal, and every quote shows rate, mobilization, disposal and locate fees on separate lines in CAD.
