Trash Clogs Acreage Canals, Harming Flood Drainage

Indian Trail Improvement District crews are struggling to drain flooded areas in The Acreage, a western Palm Beach County community, as discarded trash and yard debris significantly impede pumping operations. Continuous pumping efforts since last week’s heavy rains have failed to bring key water impoundments back to desired levels.

“The south impoundment, we're almost a foot above where we like to be, and the north impoundment is still about almost 2 feet above where we’d like it to be,” said Board President Elizabeth Accomando. “They’re going to continually pump.”

Accomando highlighted garbage and yard waste blocking drainage canals and pipes as a major obstacle. Crews are removing items such as coolers, bottles, deflated toys and coconuts, along with entire bags of softballs shoved into pipes. These blockages force crews to halt pumping, delaying crucial water removal from flooded neighborhoods.

“That clogs up the whole system,” Accomando explained. “The water backflows into people’s properties, so we’re up against that as well. Cleaning it out.”

The district manages over 1,000 miles of canals, swales and ditches. Accomando stressed residents’ responsibility in maintaining water flow. She urged residents to rake up vegetation after curbside pickup and keep swales clear to prevent debris from washing into drainage pipes.

The district office is receiving “hundreds and hundreds of calls” and staff are working to respond as quickly as possible. Accomando asked for patience, especially for residents on the more remote western edges of the county.

Accomando also reminded newer residents that The Acreage was designed to hold water on individual properties to recharge local aquifers, as the community relies on well water. Newer construction and landscaping practices can disrupt this system. Problems arise when residents build structures or add fill without proper engineered drainage plans or berms, causing water to flow onto lower-lying neighboring properties.

“What we see happening, the higher properties are sending the water to the neighbors who are lower, and they’re not building their berm, or they’re removing their berm,” she said. She emphasized the need for residents to be mindful of how their actions affect others as the area continues to develop.