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County of San Mateo

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Storm Drains

Storm Drain Maintenance

Storm drain inlets are cleaned by our Road Maintenance Division at least once a year before the rainy season.

Bubble Boxes

There’s water bubbling out from the storm drain and it's not even raining. What’s going on?

Because of drainage conditions, certain areas in the County are outfitted with "bubble boxes," which look just like regular storm drains. These boxes collect and store water; when full, the water is forced under the street into the regular drainage system. It is not unusual for some of the water to spill out onto the street when this occurs. If the water has become stagnant it may have a slight odor.

Request Storm Drain Maintenance

Please contact the Road Maintenance office at (650) 363-4103 for any of the following storm drain maintenance issues.

  • If you feel an additional cleaning may be necessary.
  • If water is bubbling up from a public storm drain.
  • If a storm drain is clogged or overflowing.
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