What type of drainage system maintenance procedures can homeowners perform?
  • Clean drains around your home, including roof gutters, and maintain your downspouts and downspout extensions to direct roof drainage away from your house.

  • Clean inlets and grates around your house. Do not remove inlet grates to dispose of materials as the inlet grates protect the pipes from plugging. A plugged grate is much easier to clean than a plugged pipe.

  • Keep drainage ditches, drain pipes, culverts, and other types of stormwater drainage devices clear of sediment.

  • Keep loose debris picked up on your lot. Plastic bags and plastic milk jugs can plug inlets.

  • Remove any obstruction in the street gutter or drainage way on your lot. At least twice per year, the City will sweep all street gutters. To accommodate street sweeping, please park in drives.

  • Report any obstruction or damage of a drainage channel to the Street Division at (580) 767-0409. The City cleans all catch basins at least twice per year and cleans all inlets after every rainfall greater than one inch.

  • Secure wood piles, limbs, sticks, and other floatable items.

  • Secure your trash cans and trash can lids so they cannot wash away when flooding conditions are threatening. These are another source of plugging inlets and pipes.

  • Use a mulching mower to reduce leaves to small pieces that will pass through storm gates. Leaves clogging storm drains are a major source of blockage of inlets. Leaves can also be raked and collected into compost piles, where the leaves will be naturally broken down into humus materials.

Show All Answers

1. Why does the city care if I blow my grass and leaves into the street or gutters?
2. What stormwater detention requirements and discharge permits apply in Ponca City?
3. What type of drainage system maintenance procedures can homeowners perform?
4. What can I do to prevent stormwater run-off pollution?
5. Hasn't the City always had storm drains? Nothing has changed at my home/business. Why am I being charged now when I wasn't several years ago?
6. Why are the storm water and sanitary sewer systems separate?