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City reports increased stormwater maintenance: 650+ tons of debris removed, crews working six days a week
Summary
Mobility staff told council that stormwater calls are up year-over-year, crews are working six days per week, temporary generators were rented while permanent generator designs proceed, and an additional ditch-grading contract will be requested for council consent.
Tampa’s Mobility Department reported an increase in stormwater maintenance activity in May and outlined immediate steps the city is taking to reduce flooding risk and speed responses to cave-ins and clogged ditches.
Interim Mobility Director Brandon Campbell told council the department’s operations crews are working six days a week to clear ditches and inlets. Campbell said crews removed more than 650 tons of debris from ditches, pipes and street sweeping operations during recent work and removed roughly 8 tons of separately collected garbage. He also said the department repaired 45 stormwater cave-ins in May.
Campbell said the department issued a purchase order to Sunbelt Rentals for temporary generators to bridge the gap until permanent generator installations — currently in design — can be completed at pump stations, a process staff expect could take about two years. The department also issued notices to proceed for designs of the permanent generator work and plans to add another ditch-grading contract to the consent agenda on July 31.
Calls and staffing: mobility staff reported roughly 250 additional stormwater calls in the first five months of 2025 versus the same period last year; staff said the month-to-month percentage is expected to level as conditions normalize. Campbell said the department is coordinating with permitting and GIS teams to produce clearer public summaries and will make the detailed maintenance report available on tampa.gov/mobility.
Public guidance and next steps: Campbell urged residents to avoid depositing yard waste and other debris into streets or drainage features because that material rapidly clogs infrastructure. He said the department will continue targeted ditch grading across neighborhoods and will pursue administrative improvements to make maintenance work easier to monitor online.
Ending: Campbell said the department will keep council updated on the additional ditch-grading contract and on progress for permanent generator designs and installations.
