Post-snowstorm cleanup a draining experience

All of that snow piled up along roads around Bend from plowing has left many storm drains buried under hard, heavy berms of snow. With temperatures on the rise in Central Oregon and a big thaw underway, getting those drains cleared of snow is on the city’s priority list.

Plowing and maintaining the roads are taken care of by the city Streets Division.

Cleaning and maintaining the storm drains and sewer system are the job of the city Utilities Division.

But when it comes to removing the snow, the two departments work closely together.

“In addition to that (working with the Streets Division), we have staff out in the street now who are following our maps and going to those flood-prone areas that we know where traditional flooding occurs. We have staff clearing those drains today,” Paul Rheault, the city’s utilities manager, said Tuesday.

Rheault said workers use all types of methods and tools – from jackhammers and mini-excavators to the basic shovel and pickax – to clear the drains.

He said there are 10,595 storm drains throughout the city. If workers cannot get all of the drains cleared before the snow melts in a big way and potentially causes a flood, they have a plan in place.

“If we have backups in certain areas then what we’ll do is we bring in our hydro-pneumatic units.” Rheault said. “We’re able to suck up quite a bit of water with those units and we have a complete fleet here in the utility department.”

Bend Fire Battalion Chief Dave Howe said clearing the drains is more important to them than you might realize.

When there’s snow and ice in any place when crews are responding to a medical call, it can slow down their response time.

“I know from personal experience that wheeling a gurney, a stretcher, through snow and ice is virtually impossible. It’s really hard,” Howe said. “It means the guys have to carry (the gurney), and it weighs about 150 pounds.”

Howe said another important reason to have a cleared drain is in case of a fire (just as it is important to clear fire hydrants, gas meters and the like).

If your home or a home near yours catches fire, there are environmentally unfriendly chemicals in the water that is used to put the fire out.

If your storm drain is not clear, the water will not to be able to flow away from the area.

Howe said the fire department also is responsible for making sure that does not happen. So in addition to stopping the fire, crews also would have to clear the drain so water is able to leave the area.

Rheault said if you have a shovel and want to try and clear a drain, only do so if you can be safe. Otherwise, call the city and file a clearing request.