Leaves on roadways can cause hazardous driving conditions and drainage problems

DelDOT and DNREC are advising the public that improper disposal of leaves on roadways may cause hazardous driving conditions and even drainage problems.

This time of year has a lot of leaves piling up and some people may dump their leaves in a ditch or gutter.

But DELDOT is telling homeowners that blowing or raking leaves onto the roadway can actually create pollution and flooding into storm drains.

Yard waste that ends up in storm drains can add excessive nutrients to the water, which can ruin the quality of the water.

DelDOT says that discharging anything other than storm water into storm sewers is prohibited. Yard waste can clog storm drains and cause water to back up onto the roadway, which can freeze causing hazardous driving conditions.

DelDOT tells 47 ABC when leaves are wet and on the road, they create a very slippery situation and may cause cars to hydroplane.

Some tips were provided to help dispose of yard waste such as mulching the material for personal use for your own lawn. Also you can bring the yard waste to a drop off site, where you can find the list of locations here. One can also look at their municipality’s collection schedule or even contact a landscaping service.