Tampa Doubles its Ditch Grading
With a little over three months until hurricane season, the City of Tampa is working aggressively to prepare its stormwater system by re-grading ditches to maximize their capacity.
Through February, the City has graded more than 13,400 linear feet of ditches and removed roughly 1,630 tons of debris (in-house crews + contractors). That represents twice the footage compared to the same time last year. This work is vital to help better protect roadways, homes, families and businesses from costly flooding..
Ditch grading uses heavy machinery to adjust slopes, remove vegetation and debris, and improve overall stormwater flow. Clogged ditches and drains can quickly lead to localized flooding.
The City also wants to reminds residents and lawn care services never to blow leaves or yard debris in storm drains. Not only will it lead to flooding, it will also lead to fines -- starting at $75 for a first violation and up to $450 for repeat offenders. Residents are encouraged to report violations to Code Enforcement.
Additional Stormwater Highlights, Jan - Feb:
- Stormwater pipes cleaned: 137,807 linear feet (in-house + contractor)
- Pipe debris removed: 137.25 tons
- Cave-ins repaired: 42 (in-house + contractor)
- Trash removed from stormwater ponds: 4.91 tons