Post-Storm Vegetation Debris Removal

/in , ,

Following a severe storm event, the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) conducts immediate post-storm assessments, inspecting water control structures, canal channels and the canal rights-of-way for vegetative debris with the potential to negatively impact drainage.

The public can assist by reporting storm damage via our Citizen Damage Reporting System located on our website at https://lwddnet.wpengine.com/storm-response.  The user will be asked a few questions and a map will be provided to help identify the location of the incident. These public reports as well as LWDD staff assessments are reviewed and prioritized for vegetation removal. Priority is based on the following criteria:

  • High Priority – vegetation is in the water and threatening drainage
  • Medium Priority – vegetation is blocking the right-of-way and encumbering access or vegetation is significantly leaning over the waterway and could be a potential future threat to drainage
  • Low Priority – vegetation located on the LWDD right-of-way that may partially reduce access

Depending on the severity of the storm damage it may take several weeks before crews can address low priority incidents. Private property owners that wish to trim vegetation that has fallen or is leaning on their property from the LWDD right-of-way may do so at their discretion and expense. If access to the LWDD right-of-way is necessary to trim or remove vegetation, the property owner should receive prior approval from the LWDD for temporary access.

Any material from trimming or tree removal by the property owner must be properly disposed of by the resident or if applicable the contractor performing the work. Keep in mind that it is unlawful to place any debris in the canal or on the right-of-way in anticipation that LWDD will remove the material. Unlawful dumping will be reported to the authorities.

If fallen debris has damaged personal property, the individual property owner should contact their insurance company to submit a claim. The LWDD will not directly reimburse property owners for damage caused by acts of mother nature.

After a major storm event, debris clean-up is paramount to getting back to normal and the LWDD is committed to quick removal of hazardous flood prone debris for the safety of our residents.

Woman by canal

Living Within LWDD Boundary

/in ,

Living within the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) boundary provides you the unique opportunity to help improve water quality and drainage function through your daily actions. In this article we hope to inspire residents to take voluntary steps toward more canal-friendly living.

In this area of South Florida, we get our drinking water supply from surface water (rain). Surface water will runoff roof tops, over lawns and roadways. Traveling across these surfaces, it picks up a variety of things including sediments, trash, fertilizers, pesticides, and oil washed off streets and lawns. Eventually the water will collect in ponds, swales, and other low-lying areas which not only provide flood protection but also create a natural filtration system by allowing the water to slowly percolate or seep through our sandy soils.

Residents can help by limiting the installation of non-pervious areas. When you are putting in a driveway, pathway, or patio on your own property, consider using gravel, paving stones, or flagstones that will allow the surface water to filter into the soil. LWDD canals are designed and constructed so surface water is retained within the residential boundary. Direct discharge of surface water into the canal system is not allowed. Residents living adjacent to an LWDD canal need to take extra care with the location of roof down spouts (gutters), pool drains, irrigation lines, etc., so that the water is directed to areas that will allow it to slowly sink into the ground rather than flow unimpeded and unfiltered into the canal.

Most residential drainage systems are constructed so water will flow from the backyard toward the front of the property into street drains. Overtime the grading of backyards can change, and water may be able to travel in an undesirable direction. This can cause ponding in backyards or erosion and washouts along the canal bank and rights-of-way.  Maintaining the proper drainage flow is the responsibility of the property owner. This maintenance requires keeping swale areas free of landscape plantings and mowed regularly. Additionally, overtime regrading of the property to its original drainage design may be required. Residential communities and property owners are encouraged to keep this in mind when establishing maintenance budgets.

Providing for good water quality and drainage is the job of property owners, residential communities, and government. By working together to maintain our surface water management systems, we can achieve these goals. Visit LWDD’s website for more information at www.lwdd.net or contact us at info@lwdd.net.

Site plan

LWDD’s Role In Development Review

/in ,

One of the important stormwater management functions of Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) is to ensure there is adequate Required Right-of-Way. Required Right-of-Way includes the drainage channel and adjacent land on both the high maintenance and low maintenance sides of the channel. The purpose is to ensure adequate right-of-way for canal maintenance and function of the drainage design.

Securing Required Right-of-Way is accomplished through LWDD’s participation in the land development and plat review processes with Palm Beach County and municipalities located within LWDD’s boundary. Right-of-Way Specialist Anne Perry is assigned this important task. “Safety is always paramount. My job helps to protect both the employees and citizens of LWDD,” stated Perry.

Required Right-of-way is determined by the size, location, and flood control function of the canal. The development review process ensures development is planned, constructed, and documented according to code and comprehensive plans. Each month, LWDD receives approximately 40 to 60 projects from Palm Beach County and 20 projects from other municipalities for review. To complete a review, LWDD must analyze surveys, site plans, master plans and other supporting documents to ensure LWDD has adequate right-of-way along canals adjacent to the project site. Any additional Required Right-of-Way can be conveyed by the property owner to LWDD by exclusive easement or warranty deed.

LWDD review comments are provided through Palm Beach County’s Electronic Planning, Zoning and Building (ePZB) portal and the City of Boca Raton’s “ProjectDox” portal.  All other reviews and comments with municipalities are conducted via email. Participating in the development review process assist LWDD in managing its 500 miles of canals, enhances flood control and public safety, and addresses compliance issues upfront thus avoiding costly delays during the development review process.

Parents and children by canal

What You Can Do To Prevent Drowning

/in ,

In Florida drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, and the top five for drowning deaths across all age groups. Floridians have already seen more children die by drowning at the end of June 2021 as compared to the first half of the previous nine years. Childhood safety advocates have sounded the alarm!

The advocates cite the exponential increase in the number of families vacationing and moving to Florida, who are not familiar with the dangers posed by water. Currently, the total number of children ages infant to 18 years that the Florida Department of Children and Families lists who have fatally drowned stood at 65. Of those, 60% of the fatalities are children age-3 and under. Shockingly, every year, enough young children in Florida die from drowning to fill three to four preschool classrooms.

“It was just a quiet little slip right into the water, no splash, no screaming, no yelling, no fight. She didn’t really make a ripple because the water masked her movement. You should be able to see them, but you don’t. They just quietly go underwater. This is how kids drown with a whole bunch of people around,” stated Olaudah Parker, father of a 3-year-old who suffered non-fatal drowning in Naples, Florida.

Children can drown sometimes in the presence of many distracted people, like backyard poolside parties. However, more than half of fatal drownings occur when children sneak outside and reach water while alone. But it can also be a nearby canal, river, lake, drainage ditch, water retention pond, small koi pond and fountain.  In a state where water is everywhere, taking steps to safeguard children from drowning is critical. Constant, undistracted adult supervision, Coast Guard-approved life jackets, and technology tracking devices are good safety strategies. But safety devices and barriers only work if the environment contains them, caregivers remember to engage them, and children don’t disable or defeat them. In real life, the only water safety resource that can travel with children everywhere they go is the water safety training inside their own heads.

The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends swimming lessons for children as early as 1 to 4 years of age as well as all caregiver adults who have not learned to swim.  Many local fire departments offer free Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation-CPR training, a vital technique needed in the event of a drowning. Preventing tragedy and unthinkable heartbreak requires all caregivers to be informed and layers of protection to be installed and used. Learn more at the link: Palm Beach County Drowning Prevention Coalition.

Excerpt from: The State of Children Drowning, Florida Weekly, July 29, 2021, By Laura Tichy, laura.tichy-smith@floridaweekly.com

tree pruning

Prepare Your Yard Now for Hurricane Season

/in , ,
Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County News – February 8, 2021
Contact: Willie Puz, Public Affairs and Recycling, 561-640-8914 (o); 561-379-2405 (c)

Preparing your yard for hurricane season can help minimize property damage and make our communities safer. The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County (SWA) strongly encourages residents to implement a year-round yard maintenance program.

Major storms can leave behind incredible amounts of debris. For example, after Hurricane Irma, almost 3 million cubic yards of vegetative debris was collected. It took three months and cost more than $39 million to collect and dispose of it all. You can help minimize the potential for vegetative debris by starting your hurricane trimming now. The SWA contract for unincorporated Palm Beach County residents allows them to place a maximum of 6 cubic yards of yard waste at the curb each week for pick-up. (Check out our short video for an example of what six cubic yards looks like.) Starting now allows for plenty of time for yard waste to be safely removed so you aren’t stuck with it in the event of a storm. Once a storm threatens, it’s too late to trim trees.

Here are some tips to ensure your yard is as prepared as possible:

  • Cut back all trees and weak branches that could contact
  • Have foliage thinned so wind can flow freely through branches, decreasing the chance that trees or plants will be
  • Contain small pieces of vegetation, such as pine needles, leaves and twigs, in bags or cans that weigh less than 50 when full and place at the curb on your scheduled pick-up day.
  • Clean your yard of any items that could pose a danger to you or your neighbor’s property in hurricane-force winds, such as old lumber, broken lawn furniture, etc. Unincorporated Palm Beach County residents can place these types of items (three per week) curbside on their bulk waste collection day (if you’re not sure what day that is, you can find it by entering your address on the My Pick-Up Days page). Please note that lumber must be placed in a container weighing no more than 50 lbs., and fence materials will not be collected in unincorporated Palm Beach County.
  • Place yard waste from routine maintenance at the curb on your regularly scheduled collection Residents in unincorporated Palm Beach County may place a maximum of 6 cubic yards equivalent to 3 standard size refrigerators at the curb each week. (Vegetation cannot exceed 6 in. in diameter, 6 ft. in length or 50 lbs. in weight.)
  • Unincorporated Palm Beach County residents who place more than the permitted 6 cubic yards of yard waste at the curb will have no portion of the waste removed. The pile will be tagged, and the resident will be responsible for removing all the material at their own

Residents living within city, village or town limits should contact their local municipality for their collection guidelines. Check the SWA website for municipal contact information. Whether you maintain your yard yourself or use a lawn care or landscape service, if you produce significant yard waste, consider requesting a price to remove the yard waste if it exceeds the 6 cubic yard limit. Excess debris from major cutting or tree removal will need to be properly transported and           disposed of, and there is a fee for disposal.

The SWA offers hurricane information to help residents understand best practices for preparedness and what the SWA prioritizes after a storm. For additional information on debris collection in unincorporated parts of the county, contact SWA Customer Information Services at 561-697-2700 or 866-792-4636 (toll-free), or visit SWA.org/Hurricane.

Additional Hurricane-Related Resources from Palm Beach County:

In the event of a hurricane, official safety information can be found through the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management.