Keeping storm drainage facilities located along county roadways clean helps us reduce flooding and meet water quality regulations.
Pierce County road crews clean roadside storm drainage facilities to remove contaminants and keep water moving freely through the systems to reduce flooding. There are approximately 22,270 catch basins, 1,208 miles of ditch, and 554 miles of drainage pipes in unincorporated Pierce County.
Crews flush out blocked storm drainage facilities and then vacuum the water back into vactor trucks, along with any sand and gravel that has ended up in the storm drainage system.
If you are concerned about river flooding, please visit the Flooding page.
Storm Drain Waste
Storm drain waste collected during cleaning is transported from job sites to the eductor decant waste facility in Frederickson. The facility allows the county to separate, process, reuse and dispose of liquid and solid waste. The resulting processed solid waste is reused as a soil amendment or transported to a solid waste facility, while the water is used to wash trucks.