Clearing a Wichita lawn this fall comes with a rule many homeowners never think about. Raking or blowing the leaves into the street, a gutter or a storm drain breaks city code, and the penalty for that kind of illegal dumping is $371.50.
The Wichita Eagle laid out the rule on Nov. 9. Wichita says leaves in the street can clog storm drains and cause flooding, which is why the city treats pushing them off the lawn and into the road as dumping rather than yard work.
What Wichita’s Code Covers
The rule is Section 10.04.030 of the Wichita Code of Ordinances. It prohibits moving leaves, grass, dirt, debris or other material into streets, gutters, drains or drainage ditches, according to the Eagle’s report.
The Eagle framed it around a common fall question: whether a neighbor can rake or blow leaves into the street. Under that section, the answer is no, whether the leaves are raked, swept or blown…