Care homes generate higher-than-normal drainage loads due to continuous occupation and clinical waste. Formal drainage inspection is recommended every three to five years, with annual rodding or jetting in high-use systems. Blocked drainage is both a hygiene risk and a flood risk.
Why this matters
A blocked drain that causes a sewage backup into a care home is a CQC Regulation 15 issue, an HSE environmental health issue and a reputational event simultaneously. Proactive drainage maintenance is one of the cheapest and most effective building management tasks available.
What to do
- 1Schedule annual drainage jetting for kitchens and sluice areas these are the highest-risk points for blockage.
- 2Commission a CCTV drain survey every three to five years this is the only way to identify structural defects before they cause a failure.
- 3Log all drainage work date, contractor, scope of work, any defects noted and retain in your building fabric maintenance file.
Primary source
BSI BS EN 752: Drain and Sewer Systems Outside Buildings
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