Granting an easement allows Storm Water Services to begin repairing a drainage problem.

Two types of easements:

• Storm water easement
  Allows Storm Water Services staff and/or its contractor to access private property to fix qualifying problems, upon the property owner's request.  It is temporary.

• Public drainage easement
  Does not give Storm Water Services and/or its contractor any rights to enter onto private property.   Instead, a public drainage easement allows storm water runoff to flow through private property in open ditches or through pipes installed by Storm Water Services.  A public drainage easement is long-term.

With a public drainage easement, the flow of water cannot be blocked in any way.  In general, buildings or walls are not allowed in a public drainage easement.  Access from a public street is required.

What's permitted in a public drainage easement

Allowed:

• Fences
• Trees
• Shrubs
• Flowers

Not allowed:

• Tennis courts or swimming pools
• Dams or anything that might block the flow of water
• Walls or structures made of brick or block
• Sheds or other buildings

Services inside a public drainage easement

Storm Water Services does:

• Repair sinkholes that occur over a pipe system
• Clear out blocked pipes
• Repair broken pipe sections
• Control severe erosion
• Remove trees and large debris from big creeks

Storm Water Services does not:

• Mow any part of the easement
• Re-grade and/or re-seed any area after warranty
• Clear out incidental debris from channels (trash, leaves, grass clippings, small tree branches)