Costa Mesa has approximately 42 miles of storm drains and 1,165 catch basins in the community. City staff is responsible for inspection, maintenance and repair of the City's storm drain system. This includes clearing blocked drains, removing debris from storm drain/catch basins structures, and the cleaning and repairing of damaged drain pipes. The objective is to reduce debris and pollution from reaching the ocean in compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

The Street Maintenance Section is responsible for 188 miles of streets and 14 miles of alleys. Our goal is to maintain and enhance the public right-of-way while promoting a safe and secure environment, which include pothole patching, dig-out repairs, overlays, crack seals, and slurry seals. The objective is to repair potholes on City streets and alley within 24 hours of notification or discovery.

Displaced or damaged concrete sidewalks, curbs and gutters within the public right-of-way are temporarily repaired to remove any immediate trip hazards. Trip hazards are repaired by grinding the lifted area. If a sidewalk or apron has too high of a vertical displacement (usually above 1.5 inches) it will be temporarily ramped with asphalt and/or concrete. Once an area is temporarily repaired, the location will then be prioritized into the list for future sidewalk removal and replacement handled by the Engineering Division of the Public Works Department.