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Where does the rainwater that hits our streets go? Most people never give it a second thought because it just \u201cdisappears\u201d into the ground.\u00a0 If they do think about it, it is generally in the Fall, when we must keep catch basins (those grates at the side of the road that bicyclists need to avoid) clear of leaves to avoid flooding at intersections and in neighborhoods.\u00a0 Only the very rare resident ever wonders what is IN the water that drains into those catch basins.<\/p>\n
Well, what\u2019s in the runoff from our roads is nasty!\u00a0 There are oils, tire rubber and brake dust from cars and trucks, plus dirt, leaves, litter, and worms! And we have 28,000 catch basins and other structures that collect it – yes, that is not a typo!<\/p>\n
Recently, I had the opportunity to see one of our Planning & Public Works (PPW) Maintenance and Operations (M&O) crews clean out the sludge from catch basins in Gem Heights.\u00a0 And since the best way to understand and appreciate work is by doing it, Gary and Tanna let me pitch in!<\/p>\n
They wasted no time putting me to work cleaning out one of the 8,000-ish catch basins our M&O teams clean out each year.\u00a0 Just like cleaning the gutters on your house, some catch basins need cleaning every year and some rarely, depending on where they are.\u00a0 Our crews use a \u201cVactor\u201d truck, a specialized piece of equipment that operates like a combination shop vac\/pressure washer on steroids.\u00a0 But even with the Vactor truck, it still is a very physical job.\u00a0 Gary and Tanna routinely clean more than 40 catch basins a day for eight months a year.\u00a0 Pulling 40 grates a day makes me tired just thinking about it.<\/p>\n
Naturally, you are now wondering, \u201cOnce we get this nasty stuff out of the catch basin and into our Vactor trucks, what do we do with it?\u201d\u00a0 Watch the video to learn how we clean it.<\/p>\n