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DRAINAGE :: DRAINAGE CONCERN FAQ's
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My neighbor has done some work on his lot and now I’m getting
more runoff. What can I do?
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I have discussed my drainage problems with my neighbor and they
will not work with me. I have considered placing swales or
other improvements on my property, but it is not feasible. Is
the City responsible for ensuring proper drainage on my lot?
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There is new construction behind my lot and I’m having drainage
problems due to the construction. Is there anything the City
can do to make the developer drain his development away from me?
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The new construction behind my house is causing a lot of dirt
and sediment to enter my yard. Can the City force the builder
to place erosion protection on his lot?
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My neighbor has been draining his swimming pool onto my lot.
Who can I contact to stop this?
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The creek behind my house is eroding and threatening my house
and/or yard. Can the City fix this problem?
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After it rains there is a puddle in my street gutter. Will the
City repair the street to eliminate the gutter ponding?
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The storm drain system on my street does not appear to be
functioning as well as it used to. What can the City do?
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Am I allowed to construct a fence crossing a drainage easement?
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What is the difference between public and private drainage
systems?
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When it rains water flows over the street curb and floods my
home. Is there anything that the City can do?
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What does it mean if my drainage concern is designated as a
project candidate?
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There is some ponding in the creek behind my house. Water will
sit for several days and there is a mosquito problem when this
happens. Who can I call?
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What can I do to determine if I have a groundwater problem?
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A hole has developed in my yard over a City pipe system. What
can the City do?
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The concrete channel behind my house has become overgrown with
weeds in the joints and along the banks. There is also trash
and debris from an unknown source within the channel. Will the
City clean this up?
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My driveway culvert has become clogged and no longer drains
properly. Will the City come out and clean out my culvert?
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I have a drainage problem on my property and none of the above
questions seem related to it. Who can I call?
My
neighbor has done some work on his lot and now I’m getting more
runoff. What can I do?
In the past, city staff has come
out to look at situations such as this. Currently, staffing levels
and budget do not allow us to make site visits for lot-to-lot
drainage problems. These situations are civil matters between the
property owners. It does not violate city code for one lot to drain
onto another, and you should try to perform work on your lot to help
your yard drain more efficiently. It is against state code to
divert or concentrate runoff, or block runoff from draining onto
your property. We advise that you meet with your neighbor and
discuss the problem to work toward a mutually agreeable solution.
If this is not possible, consider grading swales on your property to
convey the runoff around your home. Swales are depressions similar
to wide shallow ditches that will collect runoff and take it to a
more desirable area, typically the street. If swales are graded,
care should be taken to ensure that grass is established so that
they do not immediately fill up with silt. Occasionally, area
drains may be considered. However, we do not generally recommend
them for surface flow situations. Area drains typically do not have
the capacity to handle the volume of runoff that is threatening to
flood a home, and must be frequently cleaned of leaves and debris to
function properly.
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I
have discussed my drainage problems with my neighbor and they will
not work with me. I have considered placing swales or other
improvements on my property, but it is not feasible. Is the City
responsible for ensuring proper drainage on my lot?
The City is not responsible for
ensuring proper drainage on privately owned property. If it is
impossible to remedy the problem by working with your neighbor, then
civil court action may be taken. This should be a last resort to
resolving drainage problems. Only if the neighbor is diverting or
impounding water against its natural flow or unnaturally
concentrating the flow would the neighbor be liable for damages. If
water is flowing as it naturally would, then the neighbor has no
liability. Property owners are responsible for maintaining drainage
on their own property. You could also consider hiring a civil
engineer with expertise in storm drainage to examine alternative
solutions.
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There is new construction behind my lot and I’m having drainage
problems due to the construction. Is there anything the City can do
to make the developer drain his development away from me?
There is a misconception that
new development is not allowed to drain onto existing development.
If the area drained onto the adjacent property prior to development,
it may continue to do so after development. New development may not
worsen existing structural flooding as reported to the City. If
problems are being created during construction, please contact the
Department of Public Works at 817-459-6550 and we will investigate
to determine whether the development is being properly
constructed.
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The
new construction behind my house is causing a lot of dirt and
sediment to enter my yard. Can the City force the builder to place
erosion protection on his lot?
Please contact the Department of
Public Works at 817-459-6550 and ask to speak with the Pollution
Control Officer for the area. It is helpful if you know the name of
the adjacent development. The developer of a subdivision or a
commercial site is required to maintain pollution control on his
property until adequate vegetation is established.
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My
neighbor has been draining his swimming pool onto my lot. Who can I
contact to stop this?
If the pool is draining onto
private property then it is a civil matter between property
owners. However, it is a violation of city code to drain pool
water into the street. If swimming pool water is reaching the
street, please contact the Environmental Management Division at
817-459-6550. It is usually necessary for the Pollution Control
Officer to catch them “in the act”, so please call as soon as you
notice it.
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The
creek behind my house is eroding and threatening my house and/or
yard. Can the City fix this problem?
In 1997 the Department of Public
Works researched creek erosion problems in the City of Arlington.
There are approximately 137 miles of natural creeks in the City and
we investigated approximately 11 miles (or 8%) of them. At that
time, the cost to repair the creek erosion for the 11 miles of
creeks was in excess of $20M. Proposition 5 approved in the
February 1, 2003
bond election provided $1.9M to improve storm water drainage for the
purpose of providing erosion and flood control in prioritized areas
of the city. We will be developing a program to begin addressing
the erosion concerns. Please contact the Department of Public Works
at 817-459-6550 to report a creek erosion problem. We will log it
into our database and use this list of erosion problems to develop
the erosion program. It may be a few years before any erosion
problems are addressed; therefore, the property owner should be
proactive in determining a solution to the erosion problem. If the
creek is not designated as FEMA Floodway/Floodplain, the homeowner
may place materials, such as concrete sacks, gabions, or rocks in
the creek for erosion protection. Wood materials, including cross
ties or landscape timbers shall not be placed in the creek. Please
contact the Department of Public Works prior to placing anything in
the creek so that we may discuss it with you. Care should be taken
to match the flowline of the creek with the materials so that the
creek capacity is maintained. If the creek is designated as FEMA
Floodway, then an engineering consultant should be hired to design
the erosion control measures, coordinate with the City and determine
if any correspondence with FEMA will be required.
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After it rains there is a puddle in my street gutter. Will the City
repair the street to eliminate the gutter ponding?
Please contact the Department of
Public Works at 817-459-6550 and we will determine if your street is
publicly or privately maintained. If your street is public, we will
place your location on a list and it will be surveyed and given a
rating based on the severity of the ponding. If the problem is
fairly minor, it will be placed on a list to be repaired by the
Street Division. If it is more significant, it may be placed on a
list for a future street rebuild project. If you live in a private
subdivision, then it is the responsibility of the homeowners
association or the individual homeowner to correct the problem.
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The
storm drain system on my street does not appear to be functioning as
well as it used to. What can the City do?
Please contact the Department of
Public Works at 817-459-6550. The storm drain system may have
become clogged. If there is a problem with a public storm drain
system, we can inspect for blockage and remove debris if present.
If the system is private, then it is the responsibility of the
homeowners association or the individual homeowner to maintain the
system.
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Am I
allowed to construct a fence crossing a drainage easement?
Fences are allowed in drainage
easements in some situations. A fence permit must be obtained from
the Building Inspections Division for any fence construction.
Proposed fences within drainage easements will be forwarded to the
Department of Public Works for evaluation. We may allow a fence to
be placed across a concrete flume as long as the bottom of the fence
is placed at or above the flume’s curb height and does not block the
flow of the flume. Fences are never allowed across concrete
channels, within natural creeks, or within the floodway. Depending
on the type of fence, it may be necessary to execute an Easement Use
Agreement.
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What
is the difference between public and private drainage systems?
Public drainage systems are
located within public drainage easements or street right-of-way. We
require that a system be public when it crosses a lot line. Public
drainage systems are the city’s maintenance responsibility. Private
drainage systems are located on private property and may or may not
be located within private drainage easements. Private drainage
systems typically do not cross lot lines and are generally used to
collect runoff on a specific lot. Private drainage systems are
required to be maintained by the property owner.
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When
it rains water flows over the street curb and floods my home. Is
there anything that the City can do?
Please contact the Department of
Public Works at 817-459-6550 and we will investigate. There could
be a problem with the street capacity when storm water flows over
the curb. If this is the case and a structure is flooding, then the
problem may be designated as a project candidate on the city’s Storm
Water Program. Typical solutions to this problem are: construction
of an overflow flume; construction of berms and reconstruction of
driveways to keep the water in the street; or construction of an
inlet and pipe system to connect to an existing drainage system.
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What
does it mean if my drainage concern is designated as a project
candidate?
If a drainage problem is caused
by public infrastructure (or lack of necessary infrastructure) then
the City may designate the problem as a project candidate. Each
year project candidates are listed and ranked based on specific
criteria including number of residences that flood, frequency of
flooding, and cost effectiveness of the project. After the projects
are ranked, they are placed on the Storm Water Program. The Storm
Water Program is a multi-year plan that identifies drainage projects
proposed for upcoming years. Project priorities can change from
year to year as new problem areas are identified. The number of
drainage projects planned for a given year is based on the project
costs as related to the revenues generated by the Storm Water
Utility Fee. If you have any questions about a project on the list,
please feel free to call the Department of Public Works at
817-459-6550.
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There is some ponding in the creek behind my house. Water will sit
for several days and there is a mosquito problem when this happens.
Who can I call?
Typically, homeowners are
responsible for the maintenance of the creek adjacent to their
property. Contact Neighborhood Services at 817-459-6777 for
information related to mosquito control.
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What
can I do to determine if I have a groundwater problem?
Please contact the Department of
Public Works at 817-459-6550 and ask for the Environmental
Management Division. We can send someone out to evaluate whether
the water is groundwater, tap water, or sanitary sewer water. You
will be notified of the results. If it is groundwater, then it is
the property owner’s responsibility to address the problem. You may
wish to contact a civil engineer or landscape contractor experienced
in drainage problems.
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A
hole has developed in my yard over a City pipe system. What can the
City do?
Please contact the Department of
Public Works at 817-459-6550. If the system is public, we can
investigate the cause of the problem and repair the system if
necessary. If the system is private, then the owner of the system
is responsible for maintenance.
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The
concrete channel behind my house has become overgrown with weeds in
the joints and along the banks. There is also trash and debris from
an unknown source within the channel. Will the City clean this up?
Please contact the Department of
Public Works at 817-459-6550. The City has a program to inspect and
clean concrete channels. A work order will be issued and they will
call you to discuss the problem. Work loads and other priorities
will determine when the channel will be cleaned. You are
responsible for maintaining the area between your fence line and the
beginning of the concrete channel.
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My
driveway culvert has become clogged and no longer drains properly.
Will the City come out and clean out my culvert?
City crews will clean and
regrade ditches as needed, but homeowners are responsible for
cleaning out driveway culverts.
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I
have a drainage problem on my property and none of the above
questions seem related to it. Who can I call?
Please contact the Department of
Public Works at 817-459-6550. When you call this number, the
receptionist will ask you a few general questions to get an idea of
the concern. She will then assign the call to an engineer. The
engineer will research the location and will call you back to
discuss your concerns. Once any questions have been answered or
action has been taken, the engineer will log the complaint into a
database. After the information has been logged into the database,
it becomes public record and we must provide the information to
anyone who asks for it.
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