In conventional systems pipelines work with water and air inside as the inlet flow has a vortex that carries air inside, this means that the pipes cannot fill fully as the air takes up room in the pipe. Pipes are sized for filling ratios of 20% or 33% (depending on national or local standards and regulations) allowing considerable amounts of air into the pipes of 80% or 67% of the pipe section.

The pipelines in a siphonic drainage system work in a full bore stage as the outlets have an anti-vortex plate that avoid air inside. The absence of air in the system allows it to run 100% full of water making use of the entire pipe section and vastly increasing flows that are 10 times faster when compared to conventional drainage systems.