Stormwater Management
The City of Gainesville needs your help to preserve water quality in our creeks and lakes. Most people do not realize that putting trash carts and recycle bins or leaving grass clippings and leaves from yard maintenance in the street or dumping yard debris into stormwater ditches and ponds creates problems for stormwater drainage system.
Stormwater systems are designed to hold water run-off from specific areas. Water is held to be treated over time to remove pollutants and debris. When debris left in the street makes its way into ditches or stormwater basins, it combines with other debris and can overload the system.
Placing large trash items such as beds, appliances, and furniture in the roadway makes playful items to children. Children eventually push large items into drainage ditches. The decision to place yard debris in the street or dumped in ditches may not seem like a problem for storm drains. However, the accumulative effect from such decisions is clogged stormwater pipes and reduced stormwater storage capacity in basins. Those are the causes of flooding and reduced water quality.
How
can
you
help?
Anyone can easily help preserve water quality in our creeks and lakes through proper placement of household trash, yard maintenance debris, and large trash items. Proper placement of any waste starts with placing waste in your yard on flat, level ground for pickup. Keeping waste items out of the streets allows street sweepers to fully and efficiently sweep streets. Care should be used to prevent newspapers, leaves and other wind-blown debris blowing into the street or a neighbor’s yard.
Placement of Trash Recepticles
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Incorrect Placement in front of curb Correct Placement behind the curb
DRAINAGE/DITCH MAINTENANCE
Two Types of Drainage Crews
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B |
Open Watercourse Crew - deals with ROW roadside ditches and swales, retention and detention ponds, and watershed flood control systems |
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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this document is to describe the procedure and mechanisms that generate maintenance activities of the Drainage Sections in the Operations Division, Public Works Department and the frequency of these activities. It will describe Debris Removal Activities and Procedures and what is typically removed. This document will additionally outline the individual responsible and the records that are kept to document these activities.
- RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL: The Drainage Crewleader is responsible for the inspections, maintenance and records for all drainage activities in his area of responsibility. The Drainage Section is divided into two areas of responsibility , east and west. The Drainage Section Crewleader schedules and supervises the maintenance operations. When pipe repair or construction is required, the task is turned over to the Construction Drainage Crewleader to perform necessary maintenance and to keep appropriate records.
- FREQUENCY AND TYPE OF MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY AND INSPECTION:
- OPEN WATERCOURSE SYSTEM: This system is composed of main watercourses, ROW roadside ditches and swales, retention and detention ponds, and watershed flood control systems.
- ROUTINE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE: This type of maintenance accounts for 60% of activity. This process through inspection of system generates additional maintenance activity. Routine maintenance is mowing and cleaning, checking inlets and outfall structures. Other maintenance activities are machine cleaning and excavating (for example, hydroscopes, trackhoes, backhoes, etc.). Removing debris and sediments from systems and activities related to erosion control and repair. Scheduled maintenance occurs 4 to 5 times a year.
- CITIZEN CONCERNS AND INQUIRY: This file generates another 30% of activity. Citizens will call before scheduled maintenance occurs or if their concerns were not addressed during scheduled maintenance.
- MOSQUITO CONTROL: The elimination of breeding sites generates 10% of activity. Standing water or growth that does not allow for water movement has to be addressed.
- CLOSED WATERCOURSE SYSTEM: This system consists of inlets, catch basins, manholes, pipes and outfall structures which are inspected annually. Maintenance activity in this system is generated by customer concerns, inspection and meteorological events.
- CITIZEN CONCERNS AND INQUIRY: Citizens concerns about street flooding and erosion around manholes generates about 20% of maintenance activity.
- MOSQUITO CONTROL: This section reporting breeding sites in pipes and manholes usually indicates debris and sediment in the system.
- STREET SWEEPING: Areas that have large accumulation of leaves and debris are routinely called in by the sweeper operators during their daily rounds. Their routine is every 4 to 5 weeks.
- ROUTINE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE: Jetting and removing debris from closed watercourse systems. Construction and repair of concrete structures and appurtenances.
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2.RECORDS OF MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY:
WORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: All maintenance activity is recorded in this system. Job types, labor and equipment, section and area, production, crewleader and special tracking fields are tracked by this system.
- CITIZEN COMPLAINT AND INQUIRY FILE: This file contains all calls that the division receives concerning Streets Division functions and activities.
- MOSQUITO CONTROL LOGS: This is a monthly list of all problem areas that this section has investigated. This is routine investigation.
- DEBRIS REMOVAL:
ROUTINE DEBRIS REMOVAL: This debris removal is done routinely during scheduled maintenance. Cuttings, vegetation and other debris obstructing water flow.
Ditch Swale Debris Removal Pipe Debris Removal
STREET SWEEPING DEBRIS REMOVAL: This debris is first removed by the sweepers and then relocated to a dump site. From our dump sites it is transported for proper disposal.
Ditch debris is removed from the ditches by machines and transported to the compound where the soil is extracted and placed back on the ditch banks for erosion control.
Last updated April 11, 2012