Dumping dirt down the storm drain
 

A couple of days ago I witnessed a landscape contractor (Jason Schimdt) dump about a cubic yard of dirt down a storm drain. I just wondered if this is an acceptable practice? If not, can I report it anonymously? I would hate to create any friction between my neighbour. She is a sweet person and I don't even think she saw them do it.

Without pics it didn't happen.

It did happen. They are still working there, and even with all the rain there is an obvious trail of dirt to the drain and I imagine a pile of dirt/mud at the bottom of the drain basin. Just want to know if it's an acceptable practice. It seems like the developer goes to great pains to keep dirt out of drains while building in the neighbourhoods. If it's against the law I will report it. If it's one of those things where everyone does it and just look the other way I will most likely do that.

If the dirt is in the drain call the villages, they will take care of it.

CALL .... YES CALL We (U, me and everyone)have to pay to have them cleaned out when they become clogged and your house floods because the water could not drain down the storm drain....

SO YES, CALL !!!!!!!

But first, take a picture of the dirt trail leading to the drain, and of the landscaping truck if there's a name on it. I have never heard of this happening before, so I doubt it is common practice. Our landscaper certainly didn't do it.

Whatever goes down the drains has a direct impact on the retention pond and the wildlife who depend on the ponds.

dumping dirt down storm drain
 

Maybe they found a snake a didn't want to kill it so they put it in the drain with the dirt. I have seen lots of people moving snakes from their yard to the drain. Most snakes around the yard are good snakes but people do not want them in the landscape while working???? just a maybe......

I saw a guy in Placida Villas put a plastic bag of dog poop into the drain but it was stuck in the grate. He saw me driving up and when I returned it was gone. Hopefully he picked it up.
Please no pet bashing here. I'm a dog owner and would never do this as neither would 99.9% of other pet owners. BTW he parks his Tahoe on the street. hint, hint.

Can we car-park bash instead?:D I have a friend who lives in Amelia. There was a guy who she could see out her kitchen window walking his dog and throwing the poop down the street drain every time. Then all of a sudden he stopped doing it. She thinks someone might have lodged a complaint.

I think lodging a complaint for something egregious is better than sitting around stewing about it.

Do the right thing and contact The Villages. If every contractor did this we would be paying large sums of money for drain cleaning. I'm sure your neighbor would support you.

a cubic yard of dirt for one snake?

ya know, much as I like it here, the notion that nothing wrong ever happens bad is just not reasonable. keep alert and snitch.

Love it! Especially when it comes to the environment.:BigApplause:

What do you mean it didn't happen ????? The dirt is probably still there.

Was it Jason Schmidt or someone who works for him? Or should I say, a worker who is not following the employers way of doing things? Let's hope.

Here is where to call.............

District Property Management
Main Office
3231 Wedgewood Lane
The Villages, FL 32162

Phone: 352-753-4022
Fax: 352-753-4296

Key Largo Office
1135 Bonita Boulevard
The Villages, FL 32162

Phone: 352-751-6713
Fax: 352-750-8219

Business Hours:
8am to 5pm, EST
Monday – Friday
Excluding Holidays

Not sure who the actual driver of the front end loader was, but it was Jason Schmidt Landscaping Co.

What they mean is you need photo documentation to prove what happened. Just finding dirt in a drain doesn't prove who did it.

DG, it's not your neighbors fault that a landscaper would do such an irresponsible act. I would report this in a heartbeat. Let the Villages deal with it and I would bet they will. :(

I have to agree.

There is a huge difference between a person who tosses an occasional bag of dog poop down a sewer ( disgusting), and a landscaper shoveling dirt down the sewer.

You should confront the landscaper as well as to report the action to his boss and to The Villages in writing.

[QUOTE=buggyone;720440]There is a huge difference between a person who tosses an occasional bag of dog poop down a sewer ( disgusting), and a landscaper shoveling dirt down the sewer.

You should confront the landscaper as well as to report the action to his boss and to The Villages in writing.[/QUOTE

I bet if you called the owner of the landscaping business, he would take action. Could be he doesn't know his workers are doing this. The owners don't attend every project.

Why report the problem to The Villages? Unless it is in a new construction area where the streets have not been ceded to the county, I would think that The Villages is not responsible for the drain systems.

Storm Drain Blockage!
 

There were several homes that had flood damage on Persimmon Loop in Duval two years ago. Please correct me if I'm wrong, I believe the storm drain was full of landscaping material. I remember the pictures and I felt sorry for the people with the flooded homes. The only water running down the drain so be rain water and occasional snow melting! ;)

Now there is a refreshingly honest post. I would also feel sorry for the home owners.

By the way, has it ever "really" snowed in THE VILLAGES?????? Ever ?
I know that it has snowed on Amelia Island, Florida......have seen the newspaper photos.......

p.s. We will not have a dog when we move to TV, although we've had our share of dogs and cats while raising the children.......

Where do home owners dispose of their dog's waste??????
The drains do not seem a good choice.
Do they put it out for the garbage men???? Just wondering.

Snitchers are good when it comes to this problem. It effects all of us

I don't like the word 'snitching'. Snitching implies you are doing something wrong. You would just be reporting the FACTS.

I was in Miami back in the 70s on the only day in history that it snowed in Miami. Someone told me that it snowed up near Tallahassee just a few years ago. So, I would imagine that it has snowed in the area on which the Villages now sits at some time in history. Whether the Villages were here at the time is another question.

When I lived up north, we would pick up the dog poop in a little sealable plastic bag and place it in the trash container to be picked up with the trash. We did not have separate trash and garbage. Everything went in one container.

You are correct . THE TAXPAYERS of the county are responsible( that would be me!!).

You obviously were not in TV for the blizzard in January of 2010. Good news is my roof did carry the weight of the snow without issue :jester:

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/...7/P1030232.jpg

"By the way, has it ever "really" snowed in THE VILLAGES?????? Ever ?
I know that it has snowed on Amelia Island, Florida......"


Yes, during the frigid winter of a few years ago, when numerous queen palms succumbed and we could hardly play golf until the end of March, I woke up one day in December to find white pellets on roofs and on the ground. My father-in-law proclaimed "it is NOT snow, it doesn't snow in Florida" but it looked and felt like snow to me and I definitely remember a photo in The Sun of the tiniest snowman I have ever seen, perhaps 5"tall.

That is how they do it in our town.

We have a cute white Scotty dog "sign" down on the road by our mailbox.
It just says "No" in red letters.

I guess I can't say what the dog is doing.....but you can imagine......

Well, wouldn't you know that there is one ding bat scattered brained "dame" who walks THREE pooches every morning, noon and night and guess where she lets them go.......right on the dog sign by the mailbox.
She claims they "pull her to that spot"........it's their favorite.

After watching this for years and prior to our grandbabies arrival, I said "Good Morning" and mentioned that the babies might be toddling down the front lawn hill.........she held up her "baggy".....but what about the wet stuff. It kills the grass.

However, in all fairness to the pooch lovers, when we were kids, no one ever picked up their dogs' poop. Now they have to walk "prepared".

Love it. A five inch snowman.

Definitely the white stuff. A blizzard to end all blizzards hopefully.

I am the homeowner and I would like to respond to this. On Friday afternoon as the crew was finishing up for the day, they began to wheelbarrow up the dirt that was in the road and was to be used in my yard. The skies opened up and it was really pouring. They worked in the downpour to bring the dirt up in the yard and cleaned up the residue in the road as best they could given how hard it was raining. Because the storm drain is located in front of my house, I know that storm runoff does collect any debris on its the way to the sewer. The following morning when it was dry, whatever was left near the sewer was cleaned up by their workers. I certainly regret that my neighbors were inconvenienced or distressed in any way while this project was done and if they are referring to something different than what I am addressing, that they speak to me or to Jason directly. I do understand that it is completely within their rights to file a complaint when they feel something is wrong but my experience with Jason Schmidt Landscaping has only been a positive one. His workers are skilled and respectful and I am totally pleased with the work that was done. I would, and I have, referred him to others considering landscaping work.

Great and good. But Jason, don't throw the dirt down the drain. :evil6: Houndhouse? Are you saying they piled the dirt near the drain and not put it down the drain????

The dirt was dropped in road in the front of my house. It was near the sewer drain, since the sewer is also in right front of my house. When it started to pour, they scooped it up with their tractor into wheelbarrows and brought it up to where it was going to be used. All the while it was pouring and very windy. It was nearly impossible given how hard it was raining to sweep the spot where the dirt originally was. When it was dry the next morning they cleaned up any that was left.

Now I see. That certainly doesn't sound like anyone was dumping it down the drain on purpose. Thank you so much for making this clear to all of us.

By the way, storm drains are not the same as sewers.
At least I hope not!