Drain (plumbing)

Pool drain vortex as viewed from above the water at Grange Park wading pool
Underwater view of drain, showing vortex-formation phenomenon

A drain is the primary vessel or conduit for unwanted water or waste liquids to flow away, either to a more useful area, funnelled into a receptacle, or run into sewers or stormwater mains as waste discharge to be released or processed.

In most systems, the drain is for discharge of waste fluids, such as the drain in a sink in which the water is drained when it is no longer needed. In the UK, plumbers refer to waste water as "bad water", under the premise that the water they are moving from one area to another via the use of a drain is not needed and can be removed from the area, like a "bad apple" being removed from a fruit bowl.