The City performs maintenance and repairs for the stormwater system and encourages residents to keep the storm drain inlets in their neighborhood clear of debris and yard waste. City maintenance may occur when ditches have filled up with dirt, storm pipes are clogged, or a manhole or grate is missing. It is the responsibility of residents to keep their ditches clear of trash and yard waste so stormwater can drain efficiently.

Image source: Bart Everson, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Cleaning existing storm sewers is a great initial approach to reduce flooding because it is cheaper and less invasive than other sewer-based solutions. Storm sewer pipes can get filled up with trash, leaves, and sediment, which leaves less space for stormwater to flow through them. When sewer pipes reach capacity, they flood the surrounding areas since there is nowhere else for the water to go.

Sewer cleaning can be done mechanically, but other common practices are using a high-powered water nozzle to flush debris out or utilizing a vacuum truck to suck the debris out.

Upsizing existing sewers refers to when current sewer pipes that are too small for the amount of stormwater they need to transport are replaced with pipes that are appropriately sized for the amount of stormwater they need to carry. This can help alleviate sewer system surcharging and reduce flooding.

When upsizing existing pipes isn't enough, new storm sewer pipes may be installed to help move stormwater. This solution is very effective at reducing flooding, but can be more expensive and disruptive than other solutions.

Instead of moving stormwater away from an area, detention practices hold stormwater out of the way during peak rainfall, then slowly releases it into either the storm sewer or into the surrounding area. Anything from large tanks to underground chambers to engineered ponds to rain gardens can be considered detention.