Stormwater DrainageMade Simple

A stormwater drainage system collects rain runoff at the surface and carries it away from structures and pavement. A complete system pairs an inlet — a trench drain, catch basin, or grated drain — with buried pipe that conveys water to a discharge point, and on most commercial sites a detention system that stores runoff and releases it at the rate the municipality allows.

Most residential storm drainage systems combine a channel drain across the driveway or garage entrance, small catch basins at yard low spots, and solid PVC pipe that carries roof downspout and surface water to daylight, a pop-up emitter, or the street. Our residential application guides cover driveways, pool decks, downspouts, patios, and yard drainage individually.

Start with the runoff calculation: the rational method (Q = CiA) converts your drainage area, surface type, and local rainfall intensity into a peak flow in cubic feet per second. That flow then drives everything else — channel width, pipe diameter, and detention volume. Our six free drainage calculators walk through each step in US units.

Use a trench drain where water sheets across a line you need to intercept, like a driveway or garage threshold; a catch basin where water ponds at a low point; and a French drain for subsurface groundwater rather than surface runoff. Many properties use two of the three together — our product guides compare capacities, load ratings, and costs.

Yes. Every product category we cover — trench drains, catch basins, grates, and detention systems from ACO, NDS, Josam, US Foundry, and Neenah Foundry — is sold through DrainageConnect, our sister store, at wholesale pricing. You can also request a free quote for project pricing and volume discounts.