Map of drain system with points of interest marked
Note: The map is not accurate and is drawn from estimates of where features are in relation to above ground.

Drain entrance.

The Nuclear drain is quite an interesting drain for several reasons. It is one of the easiest drains to get to in Urbana, with several bus lines leading up to Main Avenue. The drain is right in the local creek. A small branch runs north from the main creek. When we first explored this drain we parked the Drain Mobile � in the car park on a street by something that looked like a scout hall but was not.

Avoiding golfers we walked south towards a foot bridge over the creek. We suddenly realised that what looked like a small fenced off area was the drain entrance. We walked down the concrete sides of the drain to the entrance. The pipe was another of those 1.8 metre things that seem to be so popular with Urbana drain builders. We walked on in. Then we realised that this was one of those drains that demand that either you do gymnastics to keep your feet dry or insist on getting your feet wet. We decided that it wasn�t worth the hassle, and took the plunge. Thankfully the water was warm, unusually warm in fact.

We found one very big problem with this drain, cobwebs. The first time we explored it we came out with lines of black on us. We thought it might be grease dripping from somewhere in our car. We spent ages looking around the car for grease spots. The second time we found that again we were covered with thin lines of black that smudged if we tried to brush them away. The best way to clean them off was to slowly pick them away from our clothing.

Chamber & nuclear power plant outfall.

We walked up to a split in the drain, one pipe going north, the other going east, right under the Dickson nuclear power plant which for years had been churning out power to unsuspecting Urbanans. I know it says it�s a high school above ground but hey, have you ever been under it? We have, we know it�s a nuclear power station okay. How else do you explain all that warm water and the three eyed fish? So what if you haven�t seen any three eyed fish, we have okay. Now you have to believe that because you know everything you see on the internet is true. Would we lie to you?

Up past the split on the right side tunnel we came to a pipe pouring hot water out of the nuclear power station. Now here�s something you never knew about nuclear power stations. They put soap in the cooling water. That�s right folks the water pouring out from the nuclear power plant smelled of soap. We think they add it to the water to make it more slippery and go through the pipes faster, or maybe it�s to clean the pipes at the same time as cooling them.

Round about manhole.

Up past the nuclear power station the drain passes under a manhole which happens to be in the middle of the a round about. Makes for a lot of fun popping it in the middle of peak hour traffic. Amuses the motorists no end.

" Oh dear let us drive home back to our normal suburban lives. Where everything is so plain and normal."

" Yes dear, our lives are so full of contentment."

" Oh my god dear look at that hole in the ground. There are children in the middle of the street."

" Oh no. Now our lives are all ruined, we must think for ourselves. This has shattered our urban peace."

Up past the manhole the drain just gets low and unexciting. If you go far enough up the right drain you will come to a small blue door in the side of the drain which has �nuclear power station� written on it. This is up near all of the great little green messages mentioning an exit �x� minutes away. They in fact refer to the way you came in.

The left drain from the junction is also somewhat uninteresting

Warning drains often have unexpected drop offs, unstable ladders and sharp protrusions. Impact with the ground or ceiling of drains can cause injury. Some drains in Urbana may be infested with three eyed carnivorous fish.