Warm weather exhausts storm drain

This weekend's summer-like temperatures have sent water gushing through some city streets.

Runoff flows were moving so fast sometimes that the water was bubbling upward from three drop inlets on Washington Street between Division and Stewart streets.

"This weekend's warm weather caused a tremendous amount of runoff from the hills," said Tom Hoffert, the city's public works operations manager.

"It looks like hot chocolate," he added.

In the runoff water is copious amounts of silt and debris from Ash Creek related to the Waterfall fire, which is taxing the storm drain system, he said.

Though the storm drain system was just cleared out, the sheer amount of debris coming down is just too voluminous.

"We had one pile of debris taken away and we're collecting another one," Hoffert said of the pile accumulated at Washington and Stewart streets.

Because there is so much material in the water, it can't be treated properly at the wastewater plant. Hoffert said he hopes the heavy flow ends by this weekend so the water can be sent to the plant for treatment.

Hoffert estimated the peak runoff level to have reached 4,000 gallons a minute.

Some flows were purposely caused by city employees in an effort to clear the system, Hoffert said.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.