LOCAL NEWS

Lehi City Reminding Residents To Not Dump Items Into Storm Drains

May 21, 2019, 5:17 PM | Updated: May 22, 2019, 10:17 pm

LEHI, Utah — As Wade Allred began showing off what was in the bed of his truck, he just shook his head.

“We’re seeing everything from basketballs, lumber from construction material, even cut branches and buckets”, he said while sifting through the items.

It’s not that Allred likes collecting junk.

Lehi’s Streets Department Director Wade Allred

Lehi’s Streets Department Director Wade Allred

However, as Lehi’s Streets Department director, it’s this type of junk he deals with often.

Last Friday, city workers found those items, and lots of other things, clogging storm drains.

In all, Allred says the city hauled 15 dump trucks full of material from just the four storm drains in the neighborhood that was flooded.

Of those 15 dump trucks, he says half of them included those household items and lawn waste.

That means, instead of water going down the drain like it’s supposed to, the water goes somewhere else.

Friday, that meant into a handful of homes.

Allred is asking residents to please not dump items into storm drains or keep them stored near creeks or canals where those items could fall in and clog a storm drain downstream.

“People mow their lawn and you’ll see them dump their bag right over the fence into the ditch,” said Allred. “I think it’s just a friendly reminder to move your stuff away from the water, because ultimately downstream, it can cause major damage and as we saw last week, we’re several hundred thousand dollars worth to homeowners and it’s unfortunate. They didn’t deserve that and it was by somebody else’s negligence.”

Allred said the storm drain system can handle more than double the amount of rain that fell all at once.

The city is prepping sandbags for potential flooding.

The city is prepping sandbags for potential flooding.

However, if drains are clogged, it doesn’t work.

Lehi workers are clearing drains all this week, especially in parts where water is known to collect.

The city is also filling close to 15,000 sandbags anticipating more rain, and potentially more problems, later this week.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

Police confirmed Monday they were investigating whether the same driver was responsible for multipl...

Andrew Adams

Police investigate whether same driver is responsible for multiple hit-and-runs

Police confirmed Monday they were investigating whether the same driver was responsible for multiple hit-and-run collisions.

6 hours ago

two men sit at a table and look at a phone...

Matt Gephardt

Imposters stealing Utah restaurant names to deceive drivers and customers on food delivery apps

When a popular Provo pizzeria couldn’t get a food delivery app to remove an impostor account, the owners decided to Get Gephardt to investigate.

7 hours ago

The spring homebuying season is here, and realtor Alicia Holdaway says Utah’s housing market is g...

Daniel Woodruff

What’s changing in Utah’s housing market after real estate lawsuit settlement

The spring homebuying season is here, and realtor Alicia Holdaway says Utah’s housing market is getting busy.

8 hours ago

One of Utah County's three commissioners has been battling a tumor causing him to miss a series of ...

Lindsay Aerts

Utah County Commission chair calls for resignation of Tom Sakievich over ability to work

One of Utah County's three commissioners has been battling a tumor causing him to miss a series of recent commission meetings and other county work.

8 hours ago

A Weber County family is mourning the loss of a 28-year-old man killed in a wrong way crash early S...

Garna Mejia

Family grieves the loss of a man killed in Sunday’s wrong-way crash

A Weber County family is mourning the loss of a 28-year-old man killed in a wrong-way crash early Sunday morning.

10 hours ago

The motorcycle accident that happened near 350 South 200 East....

Michael Houck

Motorcyclist crash closes road in Salt Lake City

Police say a critical injury crash involving a motorcyclist has closed a road in downtown Salt Lake City.

10 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Users display warnings about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), access to malicious software ...

Les Olson

How to Stay Safe from Cybersecurity Threats

Read our tips for reading for how to respond to rising cybersecurity threats in 2023 and beyond to keep yourself and your company safe.

Lehi City Reminding Residents To Not Dump Items Into Storm Drains