Roswell completing stormwater cross drain inspections

Roswell’s Stormwater Division has spent recent months using a small robot fixed with a camera to inspect every cross drain beneath the city’s public roadways. The goal is to proactively head off any problems caused by a pipe or drain breaking or leaking beneath a roadway that might lead to flooding, road closures or property damage.

Cross drains are the many drains and pipes running below roads that help funnel stormwater into waterways. Roswell has approximately 3,200 cross drain pipes.

“Often, the first time we know a pipe has failed is when something on the surface is caving in,” said Adam Lyon, Roswell’s Stormwater Utility Manager in a statement. “When this happens under roadways, it can be pretty catastrophic.”