Stormwater Flooding

You can help protect your neighborhood from stormwater flooding...

Catch basins and street gutter drains carry stormwater away from our houses and streets when it rains. When their grates become clogged with leaves, twigs, grass clippings, leaves and other debris, they cannot function properly. Covered or clogged drains contribute to street and yard flooding.

You can help protect your neighborhood from flooding during, and immediately after, storms by keeping debris away from the grates. Just rake or sweep the debris away and put it in the trash, but only when the weather is dry.

If the grates are clean and the drain still doesn’t carry the water away, the basin may be stopped up. Contact MSD for assistance.

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Things to Remember:

  • Never remove the grate from a catch basin or drain.
    • The area beneath them can be deep and dangerous.
  • If a catch basin is missing a grate, or a manhole is missing a cover, contact MSD.
    • MSD is part of the first responder community and will send an inspector out to secure the site, and make repairs, if possible. MSD will correct the situation if it is an MSD asset, or we will contact the responsible government agency or department after the site is secured. Please stay away from the catch basin until MSD can arrive to secure the area. With your help, MSD and Louisville Metro government can prevent possible injuries.
  • Don’t dump oil, paint thinner, gasoline or other petroleum-based products or chemicals down the drains.
    • They can contaminate our streams and even create a dangerous situation. It’s also a violation of the Louisville and Jefferson County Hazardous Materials Ordinances.

There are more than 68,000 catch basins and gutters in MSD’s stormwater system alone, and there are even more in Louisville and Jefferson County that are not MSD assets. By keeping the grates clean, you can help protect your neighborhood from stormwater flooding.

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