As autumn rainwater grabs fallen leaves and carries them down streams formed at the road’s edge, local catch basins clog, allowing puddles to form, which are treacherous for pedestrians and drivers alike. For several years, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has asked willing residents to help keep the stormwater flowing off the streets by clearing the tops of the inlet grates and the surrounding area through its Adopt a Storm Drain program. Safely removing surface blockages from catch basins helps maintenance crews focus on locations with significant clogs that require professional deep cleaning. Participants do not need to register to help. They only need to follow some basic safety guidelines and help when they can.
PBOT crews must keep over 58,000 catch basins in the City’s stormwater management system clear, occasionally visiting locations several times a season. The bureau staff appreciates public assistance in keeping leaves and trash away from the grates, but asks people to follow basic safety advice before pitching in. As with cleaning in any public place, people should avoid using their hands because sharp objects often hide in obscure places. Using a shovel, rake, or broom is the safest option. People should also wear gloves, but they cannot depend on them to protect their hands from dangerous items that may be hiding within a leaf pile or under sludge. Cleaned-up organic material can go in a resident’s compost container, but rubbish-contaminated material must go into a trash bin. Cleared material should not be left in the street or on the curb outside a disposal container.
Volunteers need to wear reflective clothing and only clear catch basins from the sidewalk, avoiding working in the street where a vehicle could strike them. The program uses the term “adopt” because clearing is most effective when done regularly before rain, until the leaves have all fallen for the year. Participants should clean a ten-foot area along the curb on both sides of the drain to reduce the likelihood of clogging. People can also help after a snow or ice event by clearing a foot-wide path along the curb so melting water can flow into the catch basins.
If the catch basin will not drain after a surface cleaning, or there are emergency hazards, PBOT asks people to call its Maintenance Dispatch at 503-823-1700 to report the location of the problem. Residents should not lift storm drain grates; instead, leave them for PBOT crews, who have the proper equipment and will likely appreciate the surface cleaning done before their arrival.
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