Wet-weather guidance for restaurants and property managers.

Restaurants and multi-tenant properties have different operations, but both benefit from clear ownership, frequent checks, and a plan for overflow, leaks, cardboard, food waste, and service-day problems.

Back to El Niño Ready

Restaurants

Watch the high-risk moments in the workflow.

Closing shiftCheck lids, loose trash, leaking bags, food residue, and the pavement around containers.

Grease & liquidsKeep used oil, grease, wash water, and other liquids in the correct systems and never treat the storm drain as a disposal path.

CardboardFlatten boxes and keep them dry and inside the appropriate recycling setup.

Service capacityIf overflow repeats, review pickup frequency, container capacity, and employee practices.

Property managers

Treat the enclosure as shared infrastructure.

Set expectations

Tenants should know where waste goes, what belongs in each container, and how to report problems.

Inspect after service

Pickup days can reveal damaged lids, residue, blocked access, recurring overflow, or container-placement issues.

Document recurring conditions

Photos and dates make it easier to distinguish one-time messes from operational patterns.

Coordinate the right party

Depending on the issue, the next call may be the hauler, tenant, janitorial team, property owner, vendor, or city—not necessarily the same party every time.

Local ordinances, leases, waste contracts, and permit conditions vary. Use this as a housekeeping and communication guide, not as a substitute for site-specific professional or regulatory advice.

Start with a repeatable rain check.

One documented walk before a storm is better than discovering the problem after runoff has already moved through the site.