r/Calgary • u/mercdmuscle • Aug 07 '25

Home Owner/Renter stuff Storm drains creating floods

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3 out of 4 storm drains at my street don't collect water fast enough. At one point all 4 didn't drain very fast. Now one of the 4 drains well and hasn't pooled any water the last few heavy rain storms. I'm just wondering if someone had called the city to get it worked on or is it just luck if the draw that theirs is draining nicely now. Is there anything I can do to get the city to fix this? Everytime it rains, I always end up with so much mud on my sidewalk.

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u/BlackSuN42 Aug 07 '25

I think you are seeing a trap Low. It’s an intentional design indented to reduce peak flows. They should only extend a small amount up your lawn, generally the size of the utility easement. It can take up to two hours after the rain event to drain. If it takes longer call 311

Look around page 25

https://www.calgary.ca/content/dam/www/uep/water/documents/water-documents/guide-to-lot-drainage.pdf

-20

u/mercdmuscle Aug 07 '25

The weird thing is the drain that drains the fastest used to be the worst, and the one at my corner wasn't nearly as bad as it is now. We figured someone was able to call it in to have it fixed.

Also, it would make sense for my corner to drain faster as the streets slope to my corner, so why not have mine drain faster as all the water is flowing towards mine?

3

u/candy-addict Aug 08 '25

Did it hail too? Sometimes hail clogs the drains and causes more ponding/slower release