High Water Flows And Contaminated Sediment 25’ From Playground

I have been tring for years to get this G Section Stormwater Drainage System Outlet Fenced In. The kids play in the Contaminated Sediment in the summer once the outlet is blocked with vegetation. They play in the Sediment that’s Contaminated with Hydrocarbons and Lead from the Street Runoff. The whole system retains contaminated street runoff. Both the City’s water district Supervisor Mike And Tom both know of the (Not properly working Drainage System) that keeps a level of water even in the summer due to the downstream Sediment buildup blocking the system from flowing properly. When it rains the hydrocarbons Flow into the pipes but stay inside without the water completely flowing out. You can smell the hydrocarbon vapors exiting the street drains when the temperature is right and it starts to evaporate and come up with the water vapors.

What does come out is just 25’ from the new playground and the kids are playing in the contaminated dirt. Tom with the city maintenance and I met out there two years ago and he put some big boulders along the edges to try and stop the kids from making bicycle jumps . But it didn’t work and they still make jumps and the kids play with their toys in the bottom of the culvert in the contaminated dirt.

With lead poisoning it stays in the system and it slows down their learning abilities. The parents of the neighborhood kids that know their kids play in the culvert should have the kids tested for lead poisoning. It’s a simple blood test.

They should install a 4 foot high chain link fence all around the outlet culvert, from the outlet pipe to the bridge, to isolated and keep the kids out of it. It should also be posted with caution signs warning of high water flows during major rain events. And the possibility of hydrocarbon and lead contamination is present in the soil, and vegetation downstream.

The Sediment and vegetation Back up needs to be removed so the water can flow completely out of the underground system, and therefore allowing the hydrocarbons to evaporate faster as the system was designed.

The reason the second drain line was put in underneath the bike path years ago was because the one line could not handle the flow during a major rainstorm, and the G section flooded. Now since the system remains half full, once it starts to rain it slows the flow down to where we have lost the protection of the other line. The whole system remains full of water all the time. And we don’t have Flood Insurence here.

Let the City Council members know how you feel about their lack of upkeep to the system.

Again the city cutting corners and putting our kids in Danger!