Storm SewerStormwater is water that collects on the ground as a result of rain storms. When this water flows across the surface of the land it picks up pollutants and carries them to the nearest stream, river, or lake. Stormwater is NOT TREATED at the treatment plant. Have you ever seen Duluth's stormwater utility system? Duluth's stormwater utility consists of almost 300 miles of pipe in the ground, over 100 miles of ditches, and over 3000 culverts. Storm drains and catch basins take stormwater from the streets and parking lots. They are the heavy steel grates located along the curbs, usually near intersections. There are over 9000 catch basins in the City. Maintaining this system is no easy task. Utility operations uses Vactor trucks to flush and clean the storm sewer pipes and a small television camera mounted on a tracked crawler to drive down the pipes and inspect for cracks, breaks, and pollution sources. If breaks are detected in the system Duluth's storm sewer construction crew makes the repair. In addition to cleaning and maintenance staff, the stormwater utility has an Engineer, a Project Coordinator, and Water Quality Specialists. The City of Duluth has forty-three named streams within it's boundaries and twelve of these are trout streams! Duluth's streams are an important part of the storm sewer system. Learn more about them at "www.duluthstreams.org". Any questions or concerns about stormwater can be directed to the Project Coordinator or a Water Quality Specialist at 218-730-4130.
|
