Underground detention and stormwater control measures (SCMs) for tight sites, parking lots and developments.
Subsurface stormwater control measures in Schertz work hard and get looked at least, which is part of the problem. Chambers, vaults and pipe systems tucked under a parking lot at The Crossvine or Forest Ridge do their job out of sight until something backs up, and by then a board or property manager is usually hearing about standing water instead of catching it early.
Schertz sits on blackland clay, and that clay swells when it is wet and shrinks when it dries, which shifts pipe joints and settles the ground over a vault faster than most owners expect. Add the area's pattern of long dry stretches broken by hard, fast rain off the I-35 and FM 78 corridor, and you get sediment pushed into a system all at once rather than a little at a time. We find silted forebays, slow drawdown after storms, outlet structures packed with debris, and in the newer sections of The Crossvine, grates still catching construction grit a few years after the builder left.
Working with Corral Bros on this scope starts with a site walk where we open structures, check flow, and tell you plainly what we found. If the system was built to an engineer's plan, our maintenance and any retrofit work follows that plan. We handle cleaning, jetting, and chamber or vault repairs without turning your parking lot or leasing office into a construction zone, and we give you a straight answer on what it will take to keep the system compliant.
We're a local, family-built company that treats your Schertz property like our own, tidy crews, clear pricing, and subsurface stormwater control measures that holds up to Guadalupe County conditions. Available as a one-time project or part of an ongoing plan.
A subsurface stormwater control measure is used when there isn't room for a surface pond, tight commercial lots, parking areas and dense developments. The system goes underground (chambers, vaults or pipe galleries) and stores or infiltrates stormwater beneath the site, freeing up the surface for parking or building.
Yes. Subsurface SCMs accumulate sediment and debris and must be inspected, cleaned and jetted on a schedule to keep working and stay compliant. We service, clean and retrofit underground detention and infiltration systems throughout Central Texas.
We schedule a free on-site visit, usually within 48 hours, and open accessible structures like manholes, vaults, and outlet control boxes to check sediment depth, flow, and condition. For properties in The Crossvine or Ashley Park built under a specific engineered plan, we review that plan on site so the walk matches what was actually designed and installed, then we give you a clear scope before any work starts.
Most systems in Schertz need an inspection and partial cleaning every one to two years, but blackland clay sites often need it sooner because the ground shifts and pushes sediment and grit into the system between storms. New developments along FM 78 can also carry leftover construction sediment for the first few years after buildout, which shortens the interval. A slow-draining lot after rain or standing water near an inlet are both signs it is due.
We stage work to keep traffic lanes and the bulk of a lot open, cone off only the structures and access points we are actively using, and schedule noisier jetting work for lower-traffic hours when a retail center or apartment community needs it. For HOA and POA properties we coordinate timing with the board or management company ahead of time so residents are not surprised by equipment in a common area.
Blackland clay swells and shrinks with moisture, which moves pipe joints, settles soil over vaults, and opens gaps at structure walls over time, and Schertz's pattern of dry spells followed by heavy rain means sediment arrives in a system in sudden loads rather than gradually. That combination is why we check for slow drawdown, cracked or shifted structure walls, and clogged outlets as a matter of course, not just when a complaint comes in.
Access is the biggest factor, since a vault buried under a full parking lot costs more to service than one with a clear hatch and staging area nearby. Sediment volume, the condition of pipe joints and structure walls, whether jetting or a full retrofit is needed, and how much coordination a site needs around tenants or residents all factor in too. We lay out the scope after the site walk so there are no surprises.
Free, no-pressure estimate from a local crew. Call (737) 404-9343 or request a quote online.
