The result was a puddle on the sidewalk, which didn't make for good walking conditions, now or when it freezes into solid ice. There's another one that's so bad you can't even see it under the puddle. The grate is behind that car that's sticking out:
When the water doesn't drain, it can freeze into ice when the mercury drops. This is a hazard for pedestrians and vehicles, but it also seeps into the pavement and expands, creating potholes. That's why it's best to clear the snow and slush away from the drain when it's warm.
I find it annoying that the city cannot send out crews to clear these drains. I have cleared the one at the end of our street (Delaware)several times (it's actually somewhat fun). It's not like these thaws are ever a surprise.
ReplyDeleteWell, with nearly 8000 kilometres of roads, I can understand that the City doesn't have the ability to do this.
ReplyDeleteHowever, they will go clear drains if you let them know about it! (Given enough time, I only reported this around 6pm as the city was heading back towards freezing) Remember a couple years ago that the city refused to spend money to hire more road inspectors and instead Mayor O'Brien suggested people should report them to 3-1-1 themselves. The squeaky wheel...
Also, with this particular one, it wasn't the snow and ice that was blocking the drains, it was something within the drainage system that was keeping the water from flowing. That would be very hard to fix on such short notice!