Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)

Reactive call-outs are expensive, disruptive, and often avoidable. If you manage a hospitality venue, a portfolio of sites, or facilities management contracts, drainage problems can quickly become a recurring operational risk.

ICE Drainage provides Planned Preventative Maintenance, or PPM, for commercial drainage across London and the Home Counties. Our PPM programmes are designed to reduce blockages, prevent flooding, improve compliance, and give you consistent reporting you can rely on.

What is drainage PPM?

Drainage PPM is a scheduled maintenance programme that keeps your drainage system running reliably. Instead of waiting for a blockage or overflow, PPM focuses on:

Routine cleaning and inspection
Early identification of build-up and defects
Reducing repeat incidents and emergency downtime
Creating an audit trail for compliance and internal reporting

For hospitality and high-footfall sites, PPM is often the difference between smooth operations and repeated disruption.

Who PPM is for

Our commercial drainage PPM is ideal for:

Restaurants, pubs, bars, and hospitality groups
Hotels and leisure venues
Facilities management companies
Commercial property managers
Multi-occupancy buildings with shared drainage risk
Sites with kitchens, grease loading, or recurring blockages

If you're managing multiple stakeholders, PPM also cuts down admin by standardising reporting and maintenance routines.

What's included in a PPM programme

Every site is different, so we tailor the scope based on risk, usage, and history. A typical PPM programme includes the following.

Routine inspections

Visual checks of chambers, manholes, and key access points
Identifying early signs of restriction, silt build-up, or poor flow
Noting access constraints and site-specific risks

Planned cleaning and clearance

High-pressure water jetting, as required
Mechanical drain cleaning for stubborn restrictions
ACO and channel drain cleaning in external areas
Stack pipe and internal pipework cleaning where internal drainage is a risk
Descaling and de-rusting for build-up in older systems

Fat, oil, and grease control for hospitality

Where kitchens are involved, we focus on reducing fat, oil, and grease issues through targeted cleaning frequency, practical site recommendations on what causes blockages and how to reduce them, and early intervention before restrictions become emergencies.

Recommendations and remedial work

PPM isn't just cleaning, it's improvement. Where we identify recurring issues, we provide clear recommendations, such as:

Adjusting visit frequency
Root cutting or removal where ingress is present
Targeted repairs where defects are contributing to repeat blockages
Upgrade or refurbishment options where needed

How often should PPM visits be?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Frequency depends on kitchen loading and grease risk, the number of occupants or footfall, the drainage layout and gradients, any known history of blockages or flooding, and seasonal peaks such as busy hospitality periods.

Common schedules include monthly, quarterly, or bi-annual visits. We'll recommend a frequency based on risk and cost-effectiveness.

PPM reporting and photographic evidence

Facilities teams and hospitality groups need clear documentation. Our PPM reporting can include a summary of work completed, findings and risk notes, photographic evidence where appropriate, recommendations and prioritised next steps, and notes for compliance and internal sign-off.

If you have a preferred format, let us know and we'll align where practical.

Benefits of drainage PPM

A well-run PPM programme helps you:

Reduce emergency call-outs and downtime
Prevent internal flooding and hygiene incidents
Lower long-term maintenance costs
Improve site safety and compliance confidence
Extend the life of pipework and drainage assets
Plan budgets with fewer surprises

For hospitality sites, it also protects trading by preventing issues during peak service.

PPM for facilities management contracts

For FM teams, PPM is about consistency and accountability. We support FM workflows by providing reliable scheduling and attendance, clear communication and updates, evidence-based reporting, and practical recommendations to reduce repeat jobs. We can also support multi-site portfolios with standardised outputs across locations.