Stormwater Drainage Maintenance 

When it rains, water washes over roofs, streets, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and land surfaces. Along the way, it can pick up a variety of pollutants, such as oil, pesticides, metals, chemicals, and soil. This polluted stormwater drains into the storm system that eventually discharges into our rivers and streams. The pollutants can endanger the water quality of our waterways, making them unhealthy for people, fish, and wildlife.

Portland receives an average of 37 inches of precipitation annually, creating about 20 billion gallons of stormwater runoff per year. The volume and speed of the runoff can cause flooding and erosion, destroy natural habitat, and contribute to combined sewer overflows.

No matter where you live, there's a drainage system in place to help rainwater find its way to the river. Storm drains, ditches, trash racks, and culverts all are prone to blockage, and leaves are the prime culprit in the fall of the year.

How you can help keep storm drains clear of leaves and debris

How to prevent neighborhood drainage problems 

The federal Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Endangered Species Act direct the City to improve stormwater quality and protect watersheds, rivers, streams, and drinking water resources. The overall management of the stormwater system is the responsibility of the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES). BES coordinates the citywide response to the federal stormwater permit that requires the City to reduce stormwater pollution, and oversees other programs that respond to water quality requirements.

Through an interagency agreement, the Bureau of Transportation Maintenance provides stormwater drainage maintenance services. The goals of the program are to ensure public and vehicle safety, control property damage, enhance and protect water quality, prevent flooding, respond to flood events, maintain a system to handle the quantity of stormwater, and protect the safety, health, and environment of the city.

Stormwater drainage maintenance activities include:

• debris removal

• culvert cleaning and repair

• trash rack cleaning and repair

• detention pond cleaning and repair

• erosion damage repair

• investigation of customer reports 

• emergency response  

Transportation Maintenance assists BES with a database that tracks maintenance history for each facility, scheduled and unscheduled work orders, preventive maintenance measures, inventory of surface stormwater drainage facilities, and customer service reports. An aggressive inspection program identifies and corrects potential problems, thereby reducing customer complaints and freeing time for more scheduled maintenance programs.

The City spends a significant amount of time and resources on a variety of programs that work with citizens, businesses, and property owners to increase public awareness of stormwater issues and promote private stormwater management efforts. 

How you can help keep storm drains clear 

The City asks residents to help clean the inlets and catch basins (grated storm drains) in front of your properties. Use a rake or pitch fork to clear leaves, limbs, and debris from the storm drain/catch basin. Do not put your feet and hands into the storm drain -- all kinds of debris collect there that could be dangerous, including injection needles.

If you believe an emergency response is necessary, because you cannot clear your clogged catch basin, call Transportation Maintenance at 503-823-1700 to report the clogged catch basin.

Please do not rake the leaves from your yard into the street. Leaves become a slippery mess that can cause localized flooding and pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle accidents. Rotting leaves diminish the life span of the asphalt that's underneath them, leading to premature repair needs. The City's leaf removal service is intended solely for leaves that impede stormwater drainage and cause traffic hazards.

For leaves that have fallen into the street, please keep them out of the channel right along the curb, where they will block the path of rainwater. Rake them at least one foot from the curb.

The following simple actions can help keep roads open, catch basins clear, and everyone safe:

1. Use a rake or pitch fork to clear leaves and debris from catch basins so that water can drain easily.
2. Do not rake leaves into the street. Pile them on the curb in the parking strip (grassy area between the sidewalk and the street).
3. For leaves that have already collected on the street, move them no closer than 10-12 inches from the curb, allowing water to flow to the catch basin without carrying the leaves with it.
4. When you see City crews out working, please slow down. Remember that you are in a hazardous area with low visibility. Be considerate to workers and slow down especially when driving through standing water.
5. Watch carefully for pedestrians and bicyclists, who may be in the street to avoid a flooded corner or who may be moving quickly to get out of the rain or catch a bus. Darkness limits everyone's visibility. Look out for each other.

How to prevent neighborhood drainage problems

• Check your home's drainage system. Maintaining the drainage system on private property is the owner's responsibility.
• Make sure your drainage system directs water away from your foundation and not on to your neighbor's property. Never discharge water over the side of a steep hill.
• Clean your gutters and downspouts. Check your gutters once a week during fall and winter. Just one wind or rainstorm can clog a well-flowing drainage system.
• Rake up leaves. Leaves clog drains, which can lead to flooding. Use a rake or pitch fork to clear the storm grates near your property of leaves and debris. To report a clogged catch basin, call 503-823-1700.
• For more information about Portland’s yard debris collection service or to subscribe, call Metro at 503-234-3000.
• Water is the most common cause of unstable slopes, landslides, and erosion. Check your property for signs of earth movement, such as leaning trees, or cracks in the soil and under sidewalks. If you have a problem, contact a soils engineer (see the Yellow Pages, under "Engineers-Geotechnical-Soils") to evaluate the situation.
• In general, trees and plants with strong root structures help prevent soil erosion but do not prevent landslides.

• Never block any part of the city's drainage system. Do not put leaves, dirt, grass clippings, or any materials in ditches, culverts, or drains. Doing so can cause flooding.
• It is against the law to dump any material into the drainage system. To report illegal dumping, call 503-823-1700.