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West Palm Beach city crews doubling efforts to clean storm drains

Posted at 5:42 PM, Jun 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-06 19:22:31-04

When it’s coming down hard in Pineapple Park, Manny Meant, 19, doesn't mind. “I like the rain because it's really calming.”

He also worries about one thing on Ardmore Road. “We just call it the pool,” said Meant. “It's like a long pool from here to here. It's like you can start swimming from one side to the other. Basically, that's how bad it gets sometimes.”
 
It’s not bad yet. But with more rain on the way,  West Palm Beach maintenance workers are doubling their efforts to keep storm drains from clogging.
 
“We are definitely making more rounds,” said Sam Marshall, a storm water utility maintenance worker. “We’re staying out later. We have all hands on deck. So, everyone is out in our trucks monitoring trouble areas, what we call them, the ones that flood a little more.”
 
We caught up with Marshall and his crew as they lowered a huge hose into the ground on Windsor Avenue and 38th Street.
 
“Every day we have a section that we do a day and we tackle each section per day,” explained Marshall.
 
Tuesday, they pulled out a hubcap mixed with trash. ”Try not to throw out any litter,” said Marshall. “Basically, if you've got any trash, see a trash can, just put the trash where it goes.”
 
You don’t have to tell Manny Meant that. “I don't litter,” he said. “Plus, we have to save the world.”
 
The city’s vacuum trucks will be back out Wednesday morning

To report standing water, call the city’s hotline at (561) 822-2222