FAQs

Flooding

What is a floodplain?
A floodplain is a naturally occurring area near a river or creek that floods periodically. When development brings pavement, roofs, and other hard surfaces, less rainfall percolates into the ground and more runs offsite. Runoff to the nearby river or creek increases and the development within the flood plain can be subject to flooding.

Will the city fix my drainage problem?
Lenexa’s Watershed Division, which operates the Rain to Recreation program, will fix drainage problems if the water is caused by or on public property, such as a street or drainage system, and serves public good.

Qualifying problems might include:*
• Flooding in living spaces
• Severe stream bank erosion
• Blocked creeks, storm drainage pipes or drainage ditches
• Undersized storm drainage pipes or culverts
•Sinkholes over storm drainage pipes

Problems that would not qualify include:*
• Yard flooding
• Minimal stream bank erosion
• Drainage concerns caused by roofing or gutter problems
• Water that flows from adjoining property
• Wet areas due to underground springs, wetlands or sump pumps
• Standing water in a drainage ditch

* We are posting general guidelines for qualifying problems online as a resource to our citizens. This is by no means a complete list, and every site has different causes and issues. Final determination of whether a problem qualifies is made in a field inspection completed by Watershed Division staff. For more information, contact Tom Jacobs, Stormwater Engineer.

How do I find out if my problem qualifies?
You can report a problem through our online form or call Lenexa’s Public Works Department, (913) 477-7680.

The Watershed Division will work with you to set up a time for a city employee to visit the site to determine if it qualifies for repairs. Our staff are happy to provide technical expertise in these matters and will evaluate any drainage problem to help citizens determine the source and cause.

If the flooding is covered, how soon will the problem be fixed?
Repairs are ranked by priority, which is determined by the type of flooding, its frequency and its severity. Projects within the same priority ranking are addressed by the date received.

Examples of high-priority requests include:
• Living space flooding or flooding of nonresidential structures with electricity and permanent foundations
• Street flooding
• Failure of drainage structures within 10 feet of a house or roadway or in the right of way
• Public safety hazards
• Complete blockage in the storm sewer system
• Sinkholes

Examples of lower-priority requests include:
• Failure of drainage structures more than 10 feet away from a house or roadway or outside the right of way
• Sedimentation (sediment build-up that causes partial blockages and redirects flows)
• Structural damage to a headwall (cracks, leaning)
• Partial blockage in the storm sewer system or in natural stream channels
•Stream bank erosion

Who pays for the repairs?
Qualifying repairs are covered by the monthly stormwater utility fee paid by all Lenexa property owners. For more information, contact Tom Jacobs, Stormwater Engineer.

Stormwater

What is Rain to Recreation?
Lenexa’s innovative watershed management program, Rain to Recreation, aims to reduce flooding, protect water quality and natural habitat and provide educational and recreational opportunities for its residents. This award-winning program is recognized nationally as a leader for its policies and practices that focus on stormwater and water quality conservation, restoration and education.

What is a watershed?
A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common body of water, such as a nearby creek, stream, river or lake. Watersheds vary considerably in size. For example, when it rains, all the water from a small watershed may travel to a local creek. That creek will flow into a larger stream, like Mill Creek, which in turn collects water from an even larger watershed. Mill Creek flows into the Kansas River, which then deposits water into the Missouri River.

What is stormwater and why should I worry about it?
Runoff from rainstorms is called stormwater. Stormwater becomes polluted by flowing over dirty surfaces, such as parking lots. Stormwater pollution also takes place when someone dumps materials, like oil or paint, directly into the storm drain. Polluted stormwater flows without treatment directly to creeks and rivers, where it can be harmful to aquatic life. 

What is a storm drain?
Storm drains are the metal grates found on urban and suburban streets, often at corners and on the sides of curbs and gutters. They help prevent flooding by draining rainwater and melted snow off of streets and other paved surfaces.

Are sewers and storm drains the same thing?
Sewer systems and storm drain systems are not the same. The water that goes down a sink or toilet in your home or business flows through a sewer system to a wastewater treatment plant where it is treated and cleaned. Water that flows down a driveway or street and into a gutter goes into a storm drain which goes directly to a natural body of water, untreated.

What's the problem?
While storm drains were designed to divert water from streets, they become dangerous water polluters when harmful substances from lawns and streets flow through them.

During a rainfall, water runs down streets and through yards, picking up substances along the way. This “runoff” often contains elements that pollute our waterways, can harm wildlife, and degrade water quality. Water that enters storm drains is not cleaned at a wastewater treatment plant before it flows directly to streams, rivers and lakes.

Some common contaminants in stormwater include lawn chemicals, pet waste, household chemicals like paint, and soaps used for washing cars. Products advertised as “non-toxic” or “biodegradable” are not typically safe for our waterways either — even small amounts of dirt entering storm drains can affect the water quality. These small amounts of pollution can add up to a big problem when it comes from an area the size of Lenexa.

Do storm drains get cleaned out?
The city is responsible for ensuring that the more than 15,000 storm drain inlets and thousands of miles of stormwater conveyance pipes citywide are clear of obstructions which might cause water to backup or cause flooding. Storm drains and inlets are cleaned on a periodic basis across the community as conditions and seasons dictate. To report flooding from a storm drain, please call the Public Works Department at (913) 477-7680.

Yard clippings leaves are natural, so they don't cause any problems when I blow them into a drain or leave them by the stream, right?
Grass, leaves and yard clippings can clog storm drains, causing flooding when the water cannot travel the pipes system. What’s more, disposing of yard waste on stream banks is unsightly, unsanitary and unsafe for humans and wildlife. Grass and leaves repeatedly swept or washed into the storm drains can become a breeding ground for rodents and insects and can clog drains, causing localized flooding. Plant matter washed into streams or other bodies of water deprives aquatic life of oxygen as well.

If I notice a foreign substance in a storm drain inlet, what should I do?
If you notice a foreign substance flowing into a storm drain inlet or see someone pouring something into a storm sewer, please call the Public Works department at (913) 477-7680 to report the location. Other common signs of pollutants are strange odors, colors in the water or a sheen on its surface.

Illegal dumping of trash, chemicals, yard waste and other substances into storm drains is against the law. The act is punishable under state and federal law as a violation of the Clean Water Act of 1972. In addition, the act is a violation of Lenexa’s municipal codes and ordinances that prohibit dumping of garbage and wastes onto roadways or into the storm drain system.

Stormwater fee system

What is the Storm Systems Development Charge?
Lenexa’s Storm Systems Development Charge is a stormwater utility fee that functions like a wastewater or drinking water utility fee. It is a stand-alone service unit within the city government that generates revenues responsible for funding the operation, construction and maintenance of stormwater management to prevent flooding and protect water quality. The SSD Charge is a one-time fee collected at the time of construction.

How is the SSD Charge determined?
The fee is based on the amount of stormwater a particular parcel passes to the stormwater system, termed a Equivalent Dwelling Unit, or EDU. An EDu in Lenexa is 2,750 square feet, the average amount of impervious surface (such as driveways and rooftops) associated with a single-family home in Lenexa. For commercial and multifamily units, the city calculates total impervious area and divides it by 2,750 sq.ft. to arrive at the total number of EDUs. Therefore, the more runoff a building contributes, the greater the fee.

If a property is not near a body of water, why is it charged?
All businesses and homeowners in a watershed have an effect on the quantity and quality of the stormwater runoff, despite how far you are from an affected stream or lake.  All Lenexa residents have equal responsibility to support stormwater programs and infrastructure, based on a calculated contribution (called the EDU).

Is growth and new development the cause of all of these problems?
New development approved and built in Lenexa since 2004 have had to meet strict regulations on the quality and quantity of stormwater runoff. New development is required to contain and treat their polluted stormwater runoff, but in older neighborhoods, there are no easy or cost-effective ways to clean this runoff prior to entering the lakes. Many of our current problems are caused by stormwater runoff from development occurring before 2004. Today's cost to remove, replace and upgrade old pipes and drainage systems exceeds the cost to build new systems. 

Stormwater solutions

What is a rain garden?
A rain garden is an attractive garden with a special purpose — to reduce the amount of rain water and pollutants entering streams, rivers and lakes. Rain gardens are typically landscaped with plant species native to our region that can survive varying wet and dry conditions, that have deep roots to improve soil conditions and that add beauty. By directing the rain from your roof or driveway, you can add beauty, fix wet spots in your yard and retain rain onsite, reducing stormwater runoff.

What is a rain barrel?
Rain barrels are simply large containers that capture rainwater at the end of your downspout that allows homeowners to conserve water and reduce stormwater runoff. A quarter-inch of rain falling on the average home yields more than 200 gallons of water. A rain barrel can be filled within a matter of minutes during a good rain and the water can be stored and used later, especially in dry Kansas summers.

What can I do to help?
• Use lawn chemicals safely. Always follow label instructions and never apply before rain or watering the lawn, unless directed.
• Pick up after your pets. When walking your pet, remember to bring extra bags to pick up and dispose of waste properly.
• Dispose of chemicals safely. Never place used motor oil, paint or other toxic chemicals in the trash or down storm drains. Instead, take them to a household hazardous waste drop-off site near you.
• Sweep driveways and sidewalks clean. Remove debris and residue that could end up in a storm drain from concrete and paved areas around your house.
• Wash your car the right way. Either wash your car at a car wash that filters the wastewater, or wash your car in a grassy area. Avoid washing your car on a driveway or in the street.
• Don’t dump. Never discard trash or yard waste down storm drains, in the street or near a stream.