Like most large cities, Toronto, Canada has storm drains. These drains help remove excess water from the area after a heavy rainfall. Usually forgotten until needed this unsung system requires very little maintenance. Here is what is done in Toronto.
Storm drains are located on both sides of the street, about 6 houses apart, or 120′ between drains. In the past the storm drain cover was parallel to the road and sidewalk, but this was problematic for cyclists, who would get their tires caught in the drain cover. Now the cover openings are diagonal from the curb to the middle of the street. Storm drain covers are cast of heavy iron and do rust.
A Vacuum truck sucks up debris from the storm drain in Toronto, Canada. Photo by Don Tai
We have a West Nile virus problem here in Toronto. This virus is carried by birds and breeds wherever there is standing water. A large amount of standing water is available in the storm drain. An insecticide tablet is dropped into the storm drain a couple of times a year. Each time a tablet is dropped in the storm drain cover gets a dollop of paint that is a specific colour. This is to remind the city staff which drains have been dosed. The dropping of pills and marking of the storm drains is done by summer workers on small gas scooters! I have not taken a photo because they are so infrequent and they work so fast!
The tops of storm drains get clogged with leaf debris on a regular basis, reducing their effectiveness. Usually the home owner clears the storm drain so that water does not flood the area. Twice a year, during the spring and autumn, a large sweeping truck comes by to clean the street. They also clean the storm drain. The truck has special brooms that scrub the curb and ground as well as vacuum the garbage into the truck. These trucks are noisy affairs and kick up a great deal of dust.
The City of Toronto encourages home owners to keep their storm drains clear because this aids in reducing the flooding of home basements. Due to tree dropping and leaves this cleaning, while easy, must be done on a regular basis or the street nearby the storm drain will flood. During the winter the storm drain can get blocked with snow and ice, freezing solid. When there is a thaw the storm drain cannot direct water away and flooding does occur. This water can freeze on the road, making getting out of your driveway difficult.
These large trucks are somewhat rare. In fact, this is the first time I have seen these trucks in my area. A guy with a large pick axe moves the storm drain cover. A large suction tool is inserted into the storm drain, which is then vacuumed up. The truck is large, the vacuum is strong and it is hella noisy. After they suck everything up the storm drain cover is replaced and the truck moves onto the next.
A Vacuum truck, with the sucker tool above ground, sucks up debris from the storm drain in Toronto, Canada. Photo by Don Tai
As you can see from the second photo, the sucking tool goes down 12-15′ below the street. If you did drop anything into the drain it would be quite difficult to retrieve.
