Is it legal to remove a storm drain grating?

[notfred]

it's raining outside right now. Along the edge of my street there is a storm drain. When it rains, the drain quickly clogs with leaves and crap, and we end up w/ 6 inches of standing water on the road, sidewalk, grass, etc. I jsut went out there and it had recently clogged, andw as just starting to puddle. I cleaned out the storm drain, then completely pulled the grating off of the drain. W/ no grating, it cant get clogged with leaves, and all the leaves and water should jsut go down the drain and striaight to the river (about a 100yd trip). The only problem is that it leaves an open hole, about 18 inches square and one foot deep. I left the grating standing up on end against the curb, so that it'd be easy to spot it, and hopefully the hole right next to it.

Can I do that? I'm jsut tired of wading through 6 inches of water to get to my car.

 

[brxndxn]

A temporary solution that causes a long term problem...

The leaves will clog the 100 yard trip and you'll be left with a non-working drain. Keep the grate on there - it is less dangerous. And, you will have a huge mess on your hands if the drain clogs somewhere in the burried pipe.


Besides... I remember once when I was small I ran my bike over a drain-opening where the grate had been removed. My front tire stuck into it and stopped and I flipped over my bike. I was hurt, but not badly. But, it could have easily been worse if I landed on my head or something. When I was riding my bike, by the time I spotted the missing grate, it was too late to stop before it or swerve.


It's MUCH better to have a clog that's easy to remove.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
A temporary solution that causes a long term problem...

The leaves will clog the 100 yard trip and you'll be left with a non-working drain. Keep the grate on there - it is less dangerous. And, you will have a huge mess on your hands if the drain clogs somewhere in the burried pipe.

The pipe is a foot and a half in diameter, how is a 3 inch leaf going to clog it? The holes in the grating are about 2 inches wide.

I was worried about someone stepping in, or driving into the hole, not the pipe clogging up.

 

[JimmyEatWorld]

a compressed brick of leaves is different than one leaf. And things larger than leaves often make their way into the storm sewers. Not to mention the safety hazard it poses to children.

 

[brxndxn]

The pipe WILL clog up.

Storms do not provide continuous flow. With every new storm, more leaves and sediment will be trapped in the pipes and start to harden. In a few weeks/months/years, it will be a big mess.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
The pipe WILL clog up.

Storms do not provide continuous flow. With every new storm, more leaves and sediment will be trapped in the pipes and start to harden. In a few weeks/months/years, it will be a big mess.

This is true. I would leave it on there. I would just call the village and ask what to do. Say you are pissed off. You could always use a shovel, then dump the debris you pull from there on the steps of city hall.

 

[911paramedic]

DO NOT remove it!! A person can get sucked right into the drain if it is missing and you will be looking at manslaughter charges if caught.

When with the sheriffs sar team we worked quite a few floods and they are much more serious then you think. Water pressure and flow is nothing to fool with. If you want to help get a metal rake and clean off the grate, but never remove it. EDIT: Dont stand very close when doing this either!

My sister just called from the Santa Rosa area and said they were expecting 15" of rain in the next couple of days. I think you are in Sac if I remember correctly...

 

[skyking]

Please do not remove the grate. I have seen pictures of your cute kitty......... need I say more?

 

[Sacotool]

http://www.chandigarh.org/problem/drainage.htm


According to this article, it's a bad thing when leaves and other debris go into the sewer.

 

[Vic]

Another vote for not removing the grate.
My sister-in-law was nearly killed years ago because someone removed a manhole. She was riding a bicycle down a hill at night and she hit the open manhole, her front tire went in it.... not good. That's all I'm going to say, not good.

 

[notfred]

It's not big enough for a person to get sucked into or anything. ifyou stepped in it, you might twist your ankle and you'd get really wet, but it's jsut not big enough for anyone (maybe an infant) to really get sucked into.

Still though, hmm.... I guess I should put it back, but I know I'm going to have another giant puddle there tonight. I don't have anywhere to dump a pile of leaves.

 

[911paramedic]

.43psi (pretty sure, I am almost positive salt water is .45) per foot of fresh water depth. Storm grate...12" by 24"? So that is over 740lbs of pressure for that grate. You would get sucked down in a second, unless you can do 745lb chin ups.

When water is flowing and has some volume to it, there are major pressures involved. That is why people drown in rivers, they get caught in "strainers", which are branches that the water pressure holds them against. Water is nothing to fool around with.

My grandfather was one of the first lifeguards in Los Angeles back in the 20's. (he is on the far left, and we still have that very uniform. I also have the names of all the other lifeguards pictured)

I am a master scuba instructor, and very familiar with hydrodynamics from my navy training, so please....leave the grate on. LOL.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic
.43psi (pretty sure, I am almost positive salt water is .45) per foot of fresh water depth. Storm grate...12" by 24"? So that is over 740lbs of pressure for that grate. You would get sucked down in a second, unless you can do 745lb chin ups.

When water is flowing and has some volume to it, there are major pressures involved. That is why people drown in rivers, they get caught in "strainers", which are branches that the water pressure holds them against. Water is nothing to fool around with.

My grandfather was one of the first lifeguards in Los Angeles back in the 20's. (he is on the far left, and we still have that very uniform. I also have the names of all the other lifeguards pictured)

I am a master scuba instructor, and very familiar with hydrodynamics from my navy training, so please....leave the grate on. LOL.

It's not a matter of pressure, it's jsut that the pipe underneath the grating isn't big enough for a person to fit into. Even if you tried to squeeze into that pipe, you'd get stuck before you got your knees into it. It's just not big enough for someone to fit through.

Still, I guess I'll go clean the grate off real good and put it back.

 

[notfred]

Grating, w/ my foot for scale.

I think I exaggerated the size of the pipe earlier.

What happened last time it clogged up.

This storm is much worse than last time.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Im not sure this could happen with a storm drain....

but there have been cases in swimming pools with 6" holes where small kids have gotten "attached" to the drain due to the pressure. Even if they dont drown, they sometimes have their internal organs pulled out by the pressure...

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: 911paramedic
.43psi (pretty sure, I am almost positive salt water is .45) per foot of fresh water depth. Storm grate...12" by 24"? So that is over 740lbs of pressure for that grate. You would get sucked down in a second, unless you can do 745lb chin ups.

When water is flowing and has some volume to it, there are major pressures involved. That is why people drown in rivers, they get caught in "strainers", which are branches that the water pressure holds them against. Water is nothing to fool around with.

My grandfather was one of the first lifeguards in Los Angeles back in the 20's. (he is on the far left, and we still have that very uniform. I also have the names of all the other lifeguards pictured)

I am a master scuba instructor, and very familiar with hydrodynamics from my navy training, so please....leave the grate on. LOL.

It's not a matter of pressure, it's jsut that the pipe underneath the grating isn't big enough for a person to fit into. Even if you tried to squeeze into that pipe, you'd get stuck before you got your knees into it. It's just not big enough for someone to fit through.

Still, I guess I'll go clean the grate off real good and put it back.

You dont have to go through it to get hurt. You can get pinned to it and drown. Or you can have the VERY unfortunate problem that some people have in pools and hot tubs. They get near the suction area, which is less pressure than that drain, and get disembowled from it. Pressure does many things to people, if you can, just rake from a distance (and downstream for extra measure) or leave it alone.

Water does much more than you think, and should not be taken lightly. I only say this to help you avoid a bad situation.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: notfred
Grating, w/ my foot for scale.

I think I exaggerated the size of the pipe earlier.

<link removed>

This storm is much worse than last time.

Generaly, you don't give links to your internal network notfred That is a small drain. I would call the village and have them clean the ting, or ask them if you can pull the grate and have them put one of those flahing barrier things on it.

 

[notfred]

I fixed the link.

 

[911paramedic]

Just saw that pic of your grate, feel free to clean it but it will get clogged again pretty quickly.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic
Just saw that pic of your grate, feel free to clean it but it will get clogged again pretty quickly.

You see now why I wanted to remove it?

 

[acidvoodoo]

dam, that's a deep puddle round u're car. U shouldn't have to put up with that sh!t. hmm, can't think of what u can do, need a diff type of grate or something, just anything to stop the leaves

 

[Pastore]

Call up your department of transportation for your county, they are the ones responsible for it. That's what we had to do when there was significant flooding of our sewer grates. Except if you remove ours, a person could definitely fit down into it. It is one of those manhole type ones that go about 8 feet down.

BUT, if it is a big storm they will probably be busy doing other things that are probably more important for the time being, so don't be upset if they don't run right out.

 

[bentwookie]

I live near Santa Rosa...we are getting pummeled...

and remember baby jessica?
put the grate back and put up with the puddle ...

 

[Howard]

Is it just me, or does anybody see a sideways face of something scary in the middle of the puddle???

 

[microAmp]

Originally posted by: Howard
Is it just me, or does anybody see a sideways face of something scary in the middle of the puddle???

:Q Link