Water from melting snow, ice and rain all has to go somewhere. While drainage isn’t something many of us ever think about, it’s crucial in keeping our community above water.
Stormwater
Water that originates from precipitation, like rain and snow. Some stormwater is absorbed naturally in permeable surfaces like grass, open fields and trees. This water just goes back into the ground. Impervious surfaces – parking lots, streets, driveways, roofs – can’t and shouldn’t absorb water (it would destroy them). This creates stormwater runoff.
So where does stormwater runoff go?
The City of Casper has built and maintains a complex stormwater system that catches this water and transports it from all across Casper to eventually empty into the North Platte River.
This system consists of
a. 147 miles of stormwater pipe ranging in size from 6” to 120”
b. 4719 catch basins
c. 2057 stormwater manholes
d. 304 outfalls
e. 4 stormwater pump stations
While you can see bits and pieces of our stormwater system, most of it’s underground. But rest assured that just because you’re not seeing it working doesn’t mean it’s not always moving water. This system is crucial to keeping Casper operational and safe. If the flow of stormwater exceeds system capacities during a major storm, our streets, home and businesses could flood. The stormwater system is completely separate from our drinking or wastewater systems. Stormwater systems have no filtration or treatment prior to being released. Whatever gets into our gutters goes into our river.