‘Only Rain in the Drain': Don’t Put Yard Clippings into the Drain

If you care about your environment, you won't put yard clippings into the culverts or drains near your home.

If you care about your neighbors, you won't put yard clippings into the culverts or drains near your home.

If you care about the law, you won't put yard clippings into the culverts or drains.

If you care about the safety of motorcyclists, you won't put yard clippings in the street.

There, I said it. All of it.

On my way to work earlier this week, I witnessed a resident on Doucet Road using a garden hose to wash all of his grass clippings onto the street, and then into the drain.

That's a no-no, according to an ordinance put into effect by the Lafayette Consolidated Government.

As you can see in the image below, residents of Lafayette are forbidden from putting leaves or grass clippings in the storm drain.

As explained in the image above, when you put leaves or grass clippings into the storm drain, you are "increasing the levels of sediment and suspended solids" that not only may clog the drainage system, it may harm our waterways.

The grass clippings and leaves can work to block up drainage and, if you haven't noticed, Lafayette already has a drainage problem (Edie Ann Drive, just off of Bonin Road, had a few flooded homes as a result of yesterday's rain).

When the grass and leaves clump together, they can work to get caught in gratings or other debris in the culverts and canals. Once debris begins to build, the possibility of flooding increases.

Also, the presence of leaves and grass clippings in bodies of water reduces the amount of oxygen in the water, leading to possible fish kills.

I did not report the gentleman I witnessed hosing his grass clippings into the drain, but I could have. I wouldn't have wanted him to be penalized, it would have been only for notification purposes as, I am sure, not everyone knows about this ordinance.

Had he been reported, I am hoping that he would have just gotten a warning. The ordinance does allow for fines for anyone caught putting yard clippings into the storm drain, with the first offense at $250.

So, here's your warning: don't blow leaves/grass clippings into the storm drains. Remember: only rain in the drain!

As a side note, don't blow or allow your lawn mower's discharge chute to put leaves/grass clippings into the street, either, (I'm looking at you, landscaping people) as it will create a hazard for motorcyclists. When there is grass between the tire and the street, there is little to no traction, which is dangerous for cars, too.

Now, it if would only stop raining long enough for me to actually cut my grass, I'd be happy!