When a tropical system drops several inches of rain over Sanford in a matter of hours, our underground stormwater system has to move millions of gallons of water away from our neighborhoods.
Our Public Works crews work year-round to clear out main lines, but there is a major neighborhood bottleneck that starts right at the curb: storm drains clogged by yard waste.
Blowing your grass clippings, leaves, and hedge trimmings into the street might seem like an easy way to clean up after mowing, but it creates an instant infrastructure problem the moment the skies open up.
🚫 The Problem: The Instant Dam
Unlike household wastewater, which goes to a treatment plant, the water that enters our street grates flows directly into local stormwater pipes, retention ponds, and nearby waterways.
When lawn clippings or piles of leaves are left in the street gutter:
The Wash-Down: The very first wave of heavy rain washes all that loose debris down the curb line straight toward the nearest storm drain.
The Clog: The wet grass mats together over the metal grate, creating a literal dam.
The Flood: Water can no longer drop into the underground system. Instead, it backs up onto the asphalt, quickly flooding the street, blocking traffic, and creeping toward low-lying driveways and front yards.
🏡 How You Can Help
Maintaining a clear stormwater network is a team effort. You can protect your street by following these quick landscaping habits:
Aim the Chute Inward: When mowing near the edge of your property, always point your mower’s discharge chute back toward your own lawn, not out into the street.
Sweep or Blow it Back: If grass clippings or leaves do land on the asphalt or sidewalk, take two minutes to sweep or blow them back onto your grass. Clippings actually act as a great, natural fertilizer for your lawn!
Never Dump Waste in Drains: Never intentionally dump bags of yard waste, trash, or chemical liquids down a storm drain.
By keeping our street gutters clean during regular lawn maintenance, you ensure that when the next big storm arrives, our infrastructure can do its job—keeping the water off your street and away from your home.
