During the fall months, a big task for homeowners is to rake the leaves from their yard. This is obviously a good practice for keeping up the appearance for your yard, but did you know it can also work to protect your plumbing system?

In fact, many City governments issue directions each fall for homeowners not to rake leaves from their yards into the street because of the negative impact this can have on the City sewer system. When you rake the leaves from your yard into the street, those leaves, along with the sticks and debris that are mixed in, will collect around the sewage grates of the City drainage system and block the water from moving through.

When the City drainage system cannot drain the water effectively from the streets due to clogged grates, the end result is flooding of the streets. This flooding leads to car accidents and other hazardous situations.

While it is difficult to connect the leaves in your yard to your plumbing system – they are actually intertwined this time of year. Raking the leaves from your yard is an important part of fall weather activities.

Here are some tips for you to follow:

• While it is tempting to wait until all of the leaves have fallen from your trees, it is actually better to rake the leaves in your yard sooner than later. Maintenance is the best way to manage anything and raking the leaves as they fall will ensure that none get into the drainage system.
• Before you begin your raking, make sure to gather all of the equipment that you will need. This includes safety gear like gloves and proper shoes, as well as a large leaf rake and some plastic bags. You can purchase lawn and leaf bags from most home improvement stores for relatively cheap.
• Start with one section of your yard and begin at the far most corner of that section. Rake the leaves in, towards the center of your yard. Making sure to gather all of the leaves along the way that might be in flower beds or around the base of trees.
• Gather all of the leaves into small piles and put the piles into the lawn and leaf bags as you go. Make sure to tie the bags securely so that none of your hard work is undone if the bag falls over or a big wind comes through.

Raking the leaves in your yard is just one of the many things that a homeowner must do during the fall weather. Follow these simple tips to make the task go faster and get done efficiently.