INDIANAPOLIS — Clogged storm drains can mean flooded roads, but Indy DPW crews are working hard to clear the drains to avoid this issue.
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On Tuesday, March 3, Indianapolis picked up 2.59" of rain. This is not only a new daily record, but it's also the seventh wettest March day in Indianapolis history.
Portions of Harding Street were flooding following all this rain and the snow melt from Monday.
This is an area where Lick Creek flows into the White River.
The 36" storm drain, where water flows along Harding Street, was just one site where DPW crews worked on Wednesday.
"We have crews out working all around Marion County to make sure that all the storm drains and storm pipe infrastructure work is being taken care of, so we don't have a lot of flooding," explained David Bride, a stormwater administrator for Indy DPW.
What was the status of the Harding Street drain?
"Not completely clogged, but enough clogged where you're not getting the proper flow that you should be getting to handle the water that's been coming from Lick Creek," Bride said.
What's the reason for the clog?
"The flooding that we're having on the street is based on all the debris," Bride pointed out. "You got bottles, you got trash, you got blankets, you got plastic, you got cardboard boxes."
Indy DPW utilizes workers from the Keys2Work program to clean up litter around Marion County.
While their efforts are pivotal to keep Indy clean, sometimes, a bigger machine is needed to clear the waterway.
"It's called a lightning loader," said Bride of the truck being used. "It has a claw bucket on it, and it'll be able to just dig this debris out, put it in the bucket, and we'll let it flow."
With just five scoops of the bucket, almost all of the trash floating outside the storm drain was cleared.
As that happened, water started flowing through the pipe again.
"As long as your infrastructure is clean, then you're going to get a proper flow," Bride concluded.
What should you do if you find a storm drain that needs to be cleared? Contact the Mayor's Action Center.
Indy DPW will continue their storm drain clearing work, especially as rain continues through this week and flooding concerns remain.
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