Residents, businesses: Only rain down drains

ROSEBURG, Ore. – The Roseburg Public Works Department encourages residents and businesses to protect local waterways and prevent street flooding by allowing only rain down storm drains this fall.

City streets and storm drains are designed to enable rain to drain directly to nearby creeks and rivers instead of flooding streets. However, the storm drain system won’t work as intended if storm drains on your street are blocked with debris.

In addition, we want to keep yard waste, chemicals and other matter from entering our storm drain system and flowing into creeks or rivers because that would pollute our waterways. Roseburg businesses and residents can do their part to protect the Umpqua Basin watershed from contaminants and remember many local communities, including Roseburg, rely on the Umpqua River system for their drinking water.

“Many of the storm drains do not filter what we put into them. What enters the storm-water system is discharged to nearby creeks and rivers,” said Roseburg Design/Construction Manager Ryan Herinckx.

Roseburg Public Works street crews sweep streets year-round and collect homeowners’ leaves in the fall and winter to help keep debris from clogging storm drains and to keep that excess organic matter out of rivers and creeks. The City’s free fall leaf collection service will start Monday, Oct. 28.

By working together, we can help keep our creeks and rivers healthy. Here’s how you can help:

- Clear debris from storm drains;

- Don’t over-fertilize or over-irrigate;

- Properly dispose of leaves, yard debris and pet waste. Yard debris can be burned in October with a Roseburg Fire Department burn permit. Branches and yard waste including grass, cuttings, leaves, weeds and shrubs can go to the Roseburg Transfer Site, 165 McLain W Ave. or Roseburg Landfill, 384 McLain W Ave.

- Never put paint, chemicals, motor oil, other household hazardous waste, concrete wash or other solid waste into drains. Paint is recyclable at Colorcraft Paint, Heartwood Resources or Sherwin Williams in Roseburg. Share leftover products with family, friends, neighbors or nonprofits who can use them. Learn where to recycle or dispose of paints, hazardous materials and yard waste on the Douglas County Solid Waste Department webpage. Or check for upcoming Household Hazardous Waste Events.

For more information, check out the Roseburg Storm Drainage Master Plan on the City website, read about the City’s free leaf-collection program or contact Roseburg Public Works at 541-492-6730 or pwd@cityofroseburg.org.