COMMENT
DOWN THE DRAIN
Drainage systems are o en out of sight, out of
mind - that is until there is a complication.
This type of attitude is costing UK businesses tens
of millions of pounds each year. In fact, recent
reports show that the UK spends £100 million per
year clearing blockages created from congealed
fats and waste – funds that could be better spent
elsewhere.
Not only are drain repairs an unwanted expense,
but if drainage is not looked a er, serious blockages
can occur. This can cause significant health and
safety issues and at worst force businesses to shut
down until the problem is resolved. It is therefore
vital for FMs of commercial buildings to put plans in
place to minimise the likelihood of issues, helping to
make the management of drainage easier and more
cost e ective, freeing up budget elsewhere.
PREVENTING ISSUES FROM ARISING
The best way to ensure the drainage systems around
your building do not become blocked is by educating
the users of your building on drain best practice. And
with a quarter of employees in the UK believing it
is not their responsibility to correctly use drainage
systems at work as they are not paying the bill, this
has never been more important.
We have all seen the signs in company bathrooms
advising on what not to flush down the toilet,
but it seems that this methodology is not having
the intended e ect, because malpractice is still
happening every day in buildings all over the
country. This may be due to a lack of employee
involvement when it comes to environmental
14 MARCH 2020
practices within the workplace. In research carried
out by Metro Rod last year, almost a half of people
said they were not involved at all in their company’s
environmental policies with two thirds saying they’d
be much more likely to stick to the rules if they
played more of a role in making them.
With this in mind, another way to ensure things
aren’t slipping down the drain that shouldn’t is by
showing photos highlighting what happens every
time food waste slips through the plughole or wet
wipes are flushed down the toilet to the people using
the building. Fat, grease and non-biodegradable
items like wet wipes combine to form a congealed
mass, commonly known as a fatberg. Fatbergs cause
blockages which impacts the integrity of drainage
systems meaning they are not able to work at full
capacity and cause surface water flooding, foul
smells and in worst case scenario, subsidence, cracks
and structural damage.
PRE-PLANNED MAINTENANCE
In order to prevent any unexpected and costly issues,
FMs can put in place a programme of pre-planned
drainage maintenance. This is a vital process which
allows any areas of concern to be highlighted by a
drainage specialist before a tailor-made programme
of maintenance is introduced with regular work
carried out at convenient times for the business.
As part of a pre-planned maintenance plan, an
engineer will carry out a site survey to analyse
previous drainage problems and highlight areas
of concern. They will then conduct an initial clean
which will return the pipework to full flow and
optimum performance. At this point, a bespoke
programme is prepared showing which parts of the
system will require more frequent attention, ensuring
drainage problems will be reduced in the future.
DRAIN INSPECTIONS
Achieving a balance between meeting customer
expectations and handling repairs without going
over budget is a particular challenge facing FM
professionals. As a result, when a drain blockage
is suspected, accurate inspection and diagnosis is
critical to ensure it does not become a bigger, more
costly, issue during winter.
CCTV technology can be used to conduct an in
depth survey of a building’s drains. The footage
collected during these surveys is reviewed to assess
any current damage or signs of potential wear and
tear inside a drain. Routinely conducting these
surveys allows problems to be detected early and
any problems to be rectified.
From here, the drainage provider will advise on
the most suitable course of action, whether that is
high pressure water jetting or electro-mechanical
cleaning, to ensure the problem is rectified quickly.
The advances in the speed and accuracy of the
reporting of blockages help to minimise downtime
for businesses, ensuring FMs are able to keep
organisations running, keeping customers happy
and saving costs by reducing the need for expensive
repairs later down the line.
Peter Molloy, Managing Director at Metro Rod off ers some advice to FMs on
ensuring drainage problems don’t turn into to time wasting and costly blockages
TOP TIPS FOR FMS
If drainage systems are not looked after, serious blockages can occur
Need to educate building users on ‘drain best practice’
Don’t be squeamish about using photos to highlight what happens
every time the wrong waste slips through the plughole or toilet
Facilities managers should put in place a programme of pre-planned
drainage maintenance
Drainage engineers can carry out:
Site survey
An initial clean
A bespoke programme to reduce chances of future drainage problems
CCTV technology can also be used to conduct a survey of the
building’s drains
ADVICE & OPINION