Catch Basin Cleaning: Depends on the Zone

July 9, 2015

Kings Mountain, NC
In cities where stormwater regularly floods streets, regular catch basin cleaning can keep water and contaminants off streets.

The city of Kings Mountain, NC, has a strong connection to American history. It is named for the American Revolutionary War battle that was fought a mere 5 miles away—just over the present South Carolina state line—in October 1780.

Thomas Jefferson himself decreed the Battle of Kings Mountain to be the turning point in the American colonists’ favor. The victory by frontier militiamen over the disciplined, trained British army dispelled the notion that British Loyalists in the south would join the Redcoats to defeat the colonists.

Today, Kings Mountain covers almost 12.6 square miles. Located 30 miles west of Charlotte, the city has a population of about 12,000.

Kings Mountain, NC In cities where stormwater regularly floods streets, regular catch basin cleaning can keep water and contaminants off streets. The city of Kings Mountain, NC, has a strong connection to American history. It is named for the American Revolutionary War battle that was fought a mere 5 miles away—just over the present South Carolina state line—in October 1780. Thomas Jefferson himself decreed the Battle of Kings Mountain to be the turning point in the American colonists’ favor. The victory by frontier militiamen over the disciplined, trained British army dispelled the notion that British Loyalists in the south would join the Redcoats to defeat the colonists. Today, Kings Mountain covers almost 12.6 square miles. Located 30 miles west of Charlotte, the city has a population of about 12,000. [text_ad] Kings Mountain has 52 miles of commercial and residential streets that have to be swept. Approximately 500 catch basins need regular cleaning, too. For cleaning and vacuuming the storm sewers and catch basins, the stormwater department relies on two F Series Jet/Vac trucks (combination cleaning and vacuum) made by the Aquatech division of Hi-Vac Corporation. Rickey Putnam, stormwater administrator for Kings Mountain, says that the department has been very pleased with the F Series trucks. “It really saves a lot of manual labor. You can vacuum or shoot water at high pressure. If we find sediment, we vacuum it out then use the high pressure to clean it.” He notes that all catch basin cleaning occurs at least yearly, but flood-prone areas comprise “a good 40%” of the city, he adds. Catch basins in these areas are checked at least once a week, and crews clean out any sediment that has accumulated. Kings Mountain is in the foothills of the mountains, with lots of trees. The city picks up leaves from October through the middle of February. The leaves cause lots of work for the street crews. “People put leaves in the street, not on the curb as they’re supposed to,” laments Putnam. Rain sends the leaves on to the catch basins, where they cause clogs and flooding in the streets. And when a heavy rain falls, there are flooded areas all over town. Putnam says that with the Aquatech Jet/Vac trucks, it’s easy to vacuum a catch basin or sewer pipe first if it has sediment. Then the crewmembers use the 200-foot hose line to clean the catch basin and pipe. Two crewmembers are assigned to each truck. “We have many 100-year-old trees, and their roots sometimes grow into sewer pipes,” says Putnam. “Then we take the usual nozzle off of the truck’s hose and put on another nozzle that will concentrate the water. That high pressure cuts the tree roots.” Putnam and the crewmembers have been pleased with the Aquatech Jet/Vac trucks. He says, “If I had to choose one feature I like best about them, it would be the high-pressure hose. It’s so much quicker to use it than having to dig up pipes and unclog them.” Kings Mountain is low enough in elevation that it generally receives only one snowfall a year. “It’s over in a day or so,” says Putnam. Not so for grass clipping season. Just as with leaves, some citizens put their grass and shrubbery clippings alongside the curb instead of on top of it, making extra work for the crews when the drains and catch basins inevitably get clogged. For sweeping the streets, the city owns an Elgin Crosswind sweeper. One crewmember takes the sweeper out every day, Monday through Friday, unless the temperature is too low. “He starts at one end of town on Monday, and by Friday he’s at the other end. The main thoroughfares that are more visible to the public we sweep at least twice a week,” says Putnam. He likes the Elgin Crosswind for its dual brooms. “It has a broom on either side so it can get the entire width of the lane in one pass. That saves fuel and time.” The city has had its Crosswind since 2008. “It has been dependable and needed very little maintenance,” says Putnam. Elgin’s Crosswind regenerative-air sweeper was designed for general street sweeping maintenance, large flat surfaces, leaves, and light road debris applications. It is also effective for sweeping areas of permeable pavement. Kings Mountain has had a stormwater utility fee in place for two years. When it was first proposed, there was a great deal of resistance from the residents. “I received a lot of negative calls and e-mails,” recalls Putnam, “until we held public meetings and explained the details. Now everybody loves it.” He adds, “Our stormwater fee is very low—just enough to cover out costs. Citizens give us an easement, so we clean up everything—leaves, grass, and bush clippings—for $2.50 per month per residential lot.” Commercial property owners in Kings Mountain pay $2.50 per month for each 2,000 square feet of impervious surface on their land. Business owners can reduce their fees by receiving credits for installing detention ponds and other stormwater management best management practices (BMPs). “Walmart and Rally’s auto parts stores are two local businesses that do this,” says Putnam. “They’re great to work with.” He notes, “We keep account of how much debris the street sweepers pick up in total cubic yards.” As required by Kings Mountain’s stormwater permit, the city sends samples of collected debris “for a lab to analyze for heavy metals and such.” Kings Mountain has separate budgets for its street sweeping operation and storm sewer cleaning and maintenance. Street sweeping costs run about $117,000. The cost of cleaning its storm sewers and catch basins is $47,520.

Kings Mountain has 52 miles of commercial and residential streets that have to be swept.

Approximately 500 catch basins need regular cleaning, too.

For cleaning and vacuuming the storm sewers and catch basins, the stormwater department relies on two F Series Jet/Vac trucks (combination cleaning and vacuum) made by the Aquatech division of Hi-Vac Corporation.

Rickey Putnam, stormwater administrator for Kings Mountain, says that the department has been very pleased with the F Series trucks. “It really saves a lot of manual labor. You can vacuum or shoot water at high pressure. If we find sediment, we vacuum it out then use the high pressure to clean it.”

He notes that all catch basin cleaning occurs at least yearly, but flood-prone areas comprise “a good 40%” of the city, he adds. Catch basins in these areas are checked at least once a week, and crews clean out any sediment that has accumulated.

Kings Mountain is in the foothills of the mountains, with lots of trees. The city picks up leaves from October through the middle of February. The leaves cause lots of work for the street crews.

“People put leaves in the street, not on the curb as they’re supposed to,” laments Putnam. Rain sends the leaves on to the catch basins, where they cause clogs and flooding in the streets. And when a heavy rain falls, there are flooded areas all over town.

Putnam says that with the Aquatech Jet/Vac trucks, it’s easy to vacuum a catch basin or sewer pipe first if it has sediment. Then the crewmembers use the 200-foot hose line to clean the catch basin and pipe. Two crewmembers are assigned to each truck.

“We have many 100-year-old trees, and their roots sometimes grow into sewer pipes,” says Putnam. “Then we take the usual nozzle off of the truck’s hose and put on another nozzle that will concentrate the water. That high pressure cuts the tree roots.”

Putnam and the crewmembers have been pleased with the Aquatech Jet/Vac trucks. He says, “If I had to choose one feature I like best about them, it would be the high-pressure hose. It’s so much quicker to use it than having to dig up pipes and unclog them.”

Kings Mountain is low enough in elevation that it generally receives only one snowfall a year. “It’s over in a day or so,” says Putnam. Not so for grass clipping season. Just as with leaves, some citizens put their grass and shrubbery clippings alongside the curb instead of on top of it, making extra work for the crews when the drains and catch basins inevitably get clogged.

For sweeping the streets, the city owns an Elgin Crosswind sweeper. One crewmember takes the sweeper out every day, Monday through Friday, unless the temperature is too low.

“He starts at one end of town on Monday, and by Friday he’s at the other end. The main thoroughfares that are more visible to the public we sweep at least twice a week,” says Putnam.

He likes the Elgin Crosswind for its dual brooms. “It has a broom on either side so it can get the entire width of the lane in one pass. That saves fuel and time.”

The city has had its Crosswind since 2008. “It has been dependable and needed very little maintenance,” says Putnam.

Elgin’s Crosswind regenerative-air sweeper was designed for general street sweeping maintenance, large flat surfaces, leaves, and light road debris applications. It is also effective for sweeping areas of permeable pavement.

Kings Mountain has had a stormwater utility fee in place for two years. When it was first proposed, there was a great deal of resistance from the residents.

“I received a lot of negative calls and e-mails,” recalls Putnam, “until we held public meetings and explained the details. Now everybody loves it.”

He adds, “Our stormwater fee is very low—just enough to cover out costs. Citizens give us an easement, so we clean up everything—leaves, grass, and bush clippings—for $2.50 per month per residential lot.”

Commercial property owners in Kings Mountain pay $2.50 per month for each 2,000 square feet of impervious surface on their land. Business owners can reduce their fees by receiving credits for installing detention ponds and other stormwater management best management practices (BMPs).

“Walmart and Rally’s auto parts stores are two local businesses that do this,” says Putnam. “They’re great to work with.”

He notes, “We keep account of how much debris the street sweepers pick up in total cubic yards.” As required by Kings Mountain’s stormwater permit, the city sends samples of collected debris “for a lab to analyze for heavy metals and such.”

Kings Mountain has separate budgets for its street sweeping operation and storm sewer cleaning and maintenance. Street sweeping costs run about $117,000. The cost of cleaning its storm sewers and catch basins is $47,520.

About the Author

Margaret Buranen

Margaret Buranen writes on the environment and business.