Water at the curb is the town's problem when the street inlet is blocked or the gutter floods along several properties, and yours when it pools on your apron, driveway edge or lawn with the inlet clear. It rained last night, and this morning there is a puddle at the end of your driveway that is still there at noon. Here is a simple way to sort it out before you call anybody.
Start with who owns what
This is general; your town's ordinance and your deed are what count.
- The street, the curb and the storm drain inlet (catch basin) in the road are normally the town's, or the county's or state's on a county or state road.
- Your driveway apron, yard, downspouts, yard drains, sump pump discharge and any pipe on your lot are yours.
- The gray area is the pipe from a street inlet under the road, and any pipe that crosses a lot line. Some are in a town easement. Your survey and the town engineer can tell you.
Quick checks, ten minutes, no tools
Do these in or right after rain. Stay out of moving water and keep off the road.
- Look at the nearest street inlet. Is it blocked with leaves, mulch, plastic or gravel? A blocked inlet backs water up the gutter and across low driveways.
- Watch where your own roof water goes. Downspouts that dump on the driveway feed the puddle. See can you bury downspouts and where a sump pump can discharge.
- Check the apron and driveway slope. If the apron has settled into a bowl, water sits. Our driveway drainage page covers the usual fixes.
- Check the timing. Water that drains away within hours is usually normal runoff. Water still there two or three days later with no new rain points at a clogged pipe or a low spot with nowhere to go.
- Smell it and look at the color. Gray, soapy or sewage-smelling water is not stormwater. Read sewer smell in the house and sewage backing up in the basement.
Signs it is the town's storm drain
- The inlet is visibly full of debris, or water is not entering it.
- The puddle forms in the gutter along several properties, not just yours.
- It happens each time it rains hard, on a road that is not flat.
- Neighbors on both sides have the same problem.
Call your town's public works department with the exact address and nearest cross street. If you do not know whether the road is town, county or state owned, ask public works first; they can tell you who maintains it. If water is rising across the road and it is dangerous, call 911. A dated photo taken before and during rain helps a written request get answered.
Signs it is your yard
- The puddle is on your apron, driveway edge or lawn, and the street inlet is clear.
- A downspout, sump pump or yard drain empties right where the water collects.
- You have a French drain or dry well that has stopped working. See yard drain failing signs and a clogged or overflowing dry well.
- The spot stays wet for days. See the wet spot in your yard that will not dry.
The fix is on your property, and it is usually regrading so water runs where you want it, extending the downspout or sump discharge to a proper outlet, or putting in a drain. French drain vs catch basin vs dry well explains how they differ, and our grading and drainage page lists what we do.
Do not do these
- Do not pipe your water into the street inlet on your own. Connecting a private drain, sump pump or downspout to the town's storm system can need approval, and many towns restrict it. Ask your town first.
- Do not dump anything down a storm drain. Storm drains generally lead to local streams, not a treatment plant.
- Do not dig into the road or curb. That belongs to the town, and any opening needs a permit. See NJ excavation permits.
- Do not dig near the street without a markout. There can be water, gas, electric and telecom lines in the right of way. Request 811 three to ten business days ahead; our 811 guide explains how.
When the answer is both
Sometimes a blocked town inlet and a low driveway are the same problem. The town cleans the drain and the puddle shrinks but does not go away. That is normal: the town fixes its part, you fix yours. If a blocked or silted inlet or pipe is on your private property, see our storm drain and catch basin cleaning.
What we can tell you on a visit
When we come out for a drainage estimate, the owner or a senior supervisor walks the ground with you: the inlet, the apron, the slope, where roof water goes, and whether there is a buried pipe. If the problem is on the town's side, we will say so and we will not sell you a drain to fix something the town owns. Call 862-268-2510 or contact us. We cover Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, Passaic and Bergen counties; see service areas.
