Sharraxaadda
Location: Children's Play Area at Thornhill School
Asset: Area Drain to sewer
Observation: Apparent large sewer back-up
Notes:
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- City records shows a large SANITARY SEWER line under the children's play area asphalt at the area drain where the hazardous condition is located.
- There has been a large pool (dimensions of approximately: 10 ft x 15 ft) of stagnant, contaminated water on the asphalt of the children's play area at the school creating a hazardous condition.
- The contaminated water recedes slowly over several days between rains and leaves a large amount of "muck", residue, and mold on the asphalt of the children's play area. This has occurred on 10 (+/-) occasions starting November 2019 until the present time February, 4th, 2020.
- Staff has delineated the hazardous area with tape on or about November, 2019; delineation has remained through the present time.
- Children are allowed to play in the area directly around all sides of the delineated hazardous area on school days, after school in an after care program "Adventure Time". Often the children's balls and play items get into the hazardous area and are returned to the children by staff without being washed. On several occasions children have both i) removed the delineation tape and ii) walked or ran under the delineation tape into the hazardous area.
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5 Faalladas
EMB (Isticmaale Diiwaangashan)
Isticmaale bilaa aqoonsi ah SeeClickFix (Isticmaale Diiwaangashan)
OAK 311 Representative 2 (La Caddeeyey Rasmi ah)
Dear Sir or Madam,
Thank you for contacting OAK311 regarding this matter. Please see response below from our Sewers and Drainage Maintenance Operations:
Per the City’s Sewers/Drainage Maintenance Operations, last week a member of our staff noticed a post on the Seeclickfix, raising concerns about storm sewer, sanitary sewer and drainage issues. Our drainage and sewer teams did an investigation and found no signs of sewage on the school’s playground. Our staff additionally found:
• The City’s assets are all intact and not the cause of the standing water issue, they were clear and flowing – (See attached images)
a. The cause is the retaining wall located at the back of the playground which has weeping holes that drain to the playground – (see attached images)
b. Drainage system has a catch basin at the top of the wall (not a city asset) that collects water and drains it to the playground – (see attached images)
c. The Basin encircled with caution tape is not a City asset and is private – not something the City may maintain
You may be hearing misinformation from the school’s families about this – the correct information is that City sewer infrastructure is not connected with the drainage lines.
One item that might help shed light on the community questions -- we also looked through our OAK311 call center records to find any associated service requests our community may have submitted on this issue. The only report we’ve received dates back to April 2019, at which time our staff reported to the location and determined that the school’s lateral was overflowing and causing a spill. The school would be responsible for making repairs on its Private Sewer Lateral (PSL) and the City has no ownership or authority to repair the line.
For any additional questions please feel free to reach out to OAK311 by dialing 311 (if within Oakland) or (510) 615-5566, or by email at Oak311@oaklandca.gov
Thank you.
OAK 311 Representative 2 (La Caddeeyey Rasmi ah)
Isticmaale bilaa aqoonsi ah SeeClickFix (Isticmaale Diiwaangashan)
Dear City of Oakland,
Thank you for your response.
REQUEST:
Please provide all City of Oakland work orders reference numbers in and around Thornhill dated Oct. 1st, 2020 - present.
Your response is false is numerous statements, they are:
- The cause has nothing to do with the retaining wall nor the retaining wall'ss drainage system on the far side of the children's play area. The retaining wall does have weep holes at the bottom in the children's play area as described, however, the weep holes are 100% clogged and NOT functioning thus placing a great deal more hydrolic pressure from water build up on the retaiing wall than it was designed to have. Such a massive retaining wall (12 ft tall) with a non-functioning water drainage system is of in a "failed" and UNSAFE status.
- The photo you provided shows a manhole open. If this manhole is on Thonhill and running it has nothing to do with the "point of connection" from OUSD area drain to the City of Oakland sewer system that is in fact directly UNDER the children's play area where the blockage has occurred that caused the back-up of standing, contaminated water on the children's play area for over 2+ months in 2019 - 2020. The City of Oakland is responsible for maintaining all items in the easements where their assets are, including but not limited to under children's play areas in an actively used school.
- You seem to assert the school and OUSD are not City assets. Please explain and provide the ownership of the assets you mentioned, including but not limited to: drain, catch basin, retaining wall, play area, etc.
- There is not "catch basin" at the top of the retaining wall. There are only two (2) City of Oakland structures to the City of Oakland owned SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM (see photo attached). Regardless, you say the asset is "is not a City asset and is private – not something the City may maintain" - please provide the ownership and point of contact.
- You FALSELY stated "You may be hearing misinformation from the school’s families about this – the correct information is that City sewer infrastructure is not connected with the drainage lines." The City in fact owns the SOTRM water sewer and the SANITARY sewer that go under the children's play area. The area drain in the children's play area connects to the City of Oakland SEWER system. This is a fact per City of Oakland Public Works documents and maps (see attached),
- Additionally, it is a fact that the City of Oakland lost a large federal lawsuit in, reference "2014 Consent Decree" and had several of it's staff members in the Public Works Department investigated for criminal charges for intentionally FALSIFYING City SEWER reports. In the 2014 Consent Decree the City of Oakland admitted that many of the storm water lines are incorrectly connected to the SANITATY SEWER lines systems - they causing overflows in neighborhoods and at City processing plants.
Please provide the 311 call report reference no. for the occasions you described, "... through our OAK311 call center records ... the only report we’ve received dates back to April 2019, at which time our staff reported to the location and determined that the school’s lateral was overflowing and causing a spill." The school would be responsible for making repairs on its Private Sewer Lateral (PSL) and the City has no ownership or authority to repair the line.
It incorrect to differentiate the City of Oakland from the Oakland United School District. All are the City of Oakland's mandated public trust to own and operate.
The City of Oakland does in fact have substantial SEWER assets directly under the children's play area with numerous SEWER manholes and lampholes within 5 ft of where the children play. The City of Oakland SANITARY sewer line crossed the entire children's play area to Thornhill Drive. Since the area drain that had the back-up for over 2+ mo.s is on the exact same path and the 2014 Consent Decree has stated that many of the City's storm water lines have been connected to he SANITARY sewer system,it is suspect that the the area drain in the children's play area may also been connected. Therefore, it is negligent that i) the City of Oakland / OUSD has allowed the standing contaminated water on the children's play area to stay for over 2 mo.s and the City of Oakland has not performed the proper inspection, due diligence, including to CCTV on all lines.
The community is aware:
- The Director of Public Works in San Francisco was ARRESTED 2 weeks ago and charged with numerous crimes.
- Numerous City of Oakland Public Works employees have been criminally investigated for FALSIFYING their SEWER reports.
- Several news agencies have investigated and printed press about City of Oakland bad actors - especially in The City of Oakland Public Works Dept, including but not limited to: East Bay Times and KTVU Ch. 2, etc.
- Please escalate this issue to Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland, PW) and Jason Mitchell (City of Oakland, Director)
Thank you.