Parma storm drainage: what the City handles and what you handle
Parma is one of Ohio's largest suburbs, with dense residential neighborhoods and busy commercial corridors along Ridge, Pearl and State Roads. The City's own guidance splits responsibility clearly. Problems with public storm sewers and street catch basins go to the Parma Service Department at 440-885-8195 (or the Service Garage at 440-885-8980 after 3 p.m. and on weekends). Sanitary sewer house calls are handled by the Cuyahoga County Sanitary Engineer at 216-443-8201.
The catch basins, inlets and storm piping inside a shopping-center lot, an apartment complex or a condo association's private drives are a different matter. Those belong to the property owner, and they're what we clean.
Regional flooding work in Parma
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District has targeted Parma creeks through its Regional Stormwater Management Program. Its West Creek Veterans Basin Improvements Project addresses neighborhood flooding, and a Big Creek restoration project in Parma has been announced. These projects handle large-scale creek and basin flooding. They don't keep your private catch basins clear. If your lot ponds after a moderate rain, the cause is usually on site: a full sump, a blocked outlet or a clogged storm line.
Signs your Parma property needs a vac truck
- Water standing around catch basin grates more than an hour after rain stops
- Ice sheets forming at the same drains every winter
- Sediment or leaves visible at the top of the basin when you lift the grate
- Asphalt sinking or cracking around a casting
- Slow drains or odors from a restaurant grease trap
What we do in Parma
Our vac trucks remove sediment, salt, sand, leaves and debris from catch basin sumps, then jet the outlet lines if material has already washed in. For restaurants we pump and clean grease traps and interceptors. For apartment communities and HOAs we set up spring and fall cleaning programs so basins never get to the point of flooding. We also handle emergency pump-outs after storms and backups. We remove non-hazardous material only.