You need to know how much water will be draining to your catch basin in order to select the right catch basin for your project.
Catch basins are an effective way to collect surface water that is draining to one specific area like a low spot in the yard or below a rain gutter downspout. Surface water flows through the grade on the catch then exits through a drain pipe connected to the basin.
There are several sizes of catch basins. To determine which catch basin is needed, you need to check the flow capacity of both the grade and the outlet where the drain pipe connects to the basin. Flow capacity tables have been created for each catch basin. These tables show the grades that fit into each basin and there corresponding flow capacities. The outlet flow capacities are also shown for each basin. To determine if a particular catch basin will work for your situation, follow the following steps.
- Calculate the runoff draining to the location of the basin.
- Find the table for the catch basin you want to install.
- Compare the runoff calculated in step one to the flow rate for both the grade and the outlet.
These flow rates must be larger than the calculated runoff. If these rates are greater than the calculated runoff then this catch basin will work for your project. If either these value is less than the calculated runoff then you must use a larger basin.