The City’s Storm Drain System is comprised of nearly 250 miles of stormwater pipe, 45 miles of open channels, ditches and creeks, over 10,000 structures (inlets, catch basins, manholes, etc.) and other water quality and detention facilities.
The Storm Drainage Maintenance Crew constructs, improves and operates the City's storm drainage infrastructure. They're also regularly working in the streets to complete this important work. A common activity of this crew is cleaning storm water pipes with large “vactor” trucks which blasts debris out of the storm water pipes using high pressure water jets and then vacuum the material out.
Maintaining the storm drainage system prolongs the life of street pavements and ensures subgrades are properly drained, avoids and minimizes flooding impacts to private property and ensures impacts to natural streams and other water-dependent environments are minimized.