ACO Technologies has launched a new, reusable range of inlet plugs for its KerbDrain range, aimed at helping civil and highways contractors save time, money and water on road construction projects.

The inlet plugs are an ‘industry first’ for combined kerb and drainage type products and prevent asphalt from entering KerbDrain units when roads are being paved. This means contractors do not need to undertake a heavy jetting process to clear out dried and hardened asphalt or other debris that gets blown into the units during installation.

Made of recyclable TPE and launched in February 2025, the inlet plugs reduce carbon emissions, water usage and importantly, spending. In a recent trial at an Oxfordshire Park-and-Ride site where around 1,700m of KerbDrain was installed, use of the plugs meant no jetting or channel cleaning was needed.

With the labour-intensive jetting no longer required on site, which would’ve lasted for three days, the purchase of the plugs ended up providing the site a cost saving of almost £5000. In conjunction with this, it also led to a reduction in CO2 and water which would otherwise have been consumed throughout the jetting process.

Rob Bignall, Product Manager – Civils at ACO Technologies, said: “Clearing out debris and asphalt that falls into combined kerb and drainage solutions has long been a challenge that the industry has dealt with. The method of jetting out channels is labour, carbon, time and water intensive.

“That’s why we’ve spent the last three years to research and develop our new KerbDrain Inlet Plugs. By plugging up the inlets, civil engineers and highways contractors will be able to save thousands of pounds in post-installation maintenance, and our innovative plugs can be used time and time again for new projects and for existing highways.”

Besides the water and labour savings, ACO’s KerbDrain Inlet Plugs also help contractors to achieve a better finish with the road surfacing. Simple to install by hand, they are designed in blue and red, for Splayed and Half Battered profiles respectively, and are also a useful visual aid for surfacing contractors when rolling and compacting along the kerb line. They are easily removed once surfacing is completed and help to provide a much neater finish against the kerb.

Rob said: “At ACO, our mission is to care for water, and we know that sustainability, and saving water and carbon are also high priorities across the sector. That’s why we developed these inlet plugs to show our ongoing support for both engineers and those responsible for highways maintenance. Quite simply, they pay for themselves after just one job and will ensure water is not, quite literally, going down the drain.”

For more information on ACO’s KerbDrain Inlet Plugs, please visit here.