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DPW Crews Work To Clear Storm Drains Before Heavy Rain

FRAMINGHAM (CBS) - From downtown Boston to MetroWest, DPW crews are working around the clock to clear snow away from drains before the rain. They're trying to keep the water out of people's basements.

"Even when it's like a light rain for some reason our basement always floods," said Emily Galvez.

READ: Heavy Rain Likely To Cause Flooding

On Wednesday, the water was already building up in front of Galvez's Framingham home. She was relieved crews were in her neighborhood Wednesday night.

"So the guys have been really working around the clock and have got very little rest," said Framingham Director of Highway & Sanitation Daniel Nau.

Boston DPW
A worker in Boston clears snow from a storm drain (WBZ-TV)

He says his team is making good progress clearing the city's 8,500 catch basins.

"We certainly have our problem areas that we know need to be addressed pretty quickly and they get prioritized," Nau said.

The crews go out in teams and they actually use a metal detector to try to find the buried catch basins before they can clear them off.

"They find them pretty quick and they're marked out on the road as well," Nau said.

Nau says if you can clear off the catch basin in front of your home it'll be a huge help. If not he says give DPW a call.

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