Storm Drains & Sewers

Storm Water & Sewer Systems

Monterey Park has both a storm water system and a sanitary sewer system. There is a large difference between these two systems.

Storm Water

Storm water systems carry storm water runoff out of the city to prevent or minimize flooding and soil erosion in the community. The storm water run-off collected by these systems is diverted directly to the ocean. Because storm water run-off goes directly to the ocean untreated, Monterey Park is committed to reducing and preventing storm drain pollution. For more information, read about storm water pollution prevention online.

Sewers

Sanitary sewer systems take water generated from residential and commercial / industrial properties (from your indoor plumbing systems) and channel it to sewer treatment plants. The city's sanitary sewer system is a gravity-flow system that connects to county trunk lines. These lines collect more than two billion gallons of raw sewage per year and convey it out of the city. The sewer system is comprised of 126 miles of main line sewers and approximately 2,498 manholes.

Maintenance Activities

Public Works has an aggressive program to prevent blockages and backups of these two systems:

• Storm drain system: The city's sanitation crew routinely cleans catch basins and grate prior to the rainy season. This year's inspections will take place during mid-September. 
• Sewer system: The sanitation crew cleans all the city sewer lines once a year. In areas know to accumulate grease deposits the lines are cleaned more frequently (every six week, three months, or six months.) The sanitation crew uses a specialized piece of equipment called a Vactor that uses high-pressure water to clean the sewer lines.