U-Haul Builds Underground Storm Storage in Manteca
Private crews are constructing underground runoff storage at Northgate Drive and Crestwood Avenue to address localized drainage problems.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Utilities
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Crews are building underground storm runoff storage beneath a former grassy area and part of the original parking lot of the former Kmart complex, now a U-Haul storage facility, at Northgate Drive and Crestwood Avenue in Manteca. The private work addresses localized run-off issues in the general area.
Why it matters
The storage creates another holding area for runoff, which can reduce or eliminate local flooding and reduce the chance that intense downpours overwhelm the city's drainage system. It is also expected to allow more development in the general area.
An earlier underground stormwater project on East Yosemite Avenue used a series of 60-inch wide culvert pipes, while smaller projects now use landscaped catch basins that also percolate water into the soil. The capacity of the new Northgate Drive system and its completion timeline have not been disclosed.
The players
U-Haul
U-Haul is a national moving and storage company whose former Kmart site at Northgate Drive and Crestwood Avenue now hosts a storage facility that is part of the current construction.
City of Manteca
The City of Manteca operates the storm drain system and the retention basin along North Main Street that the new private storage is designed to support.
The details
The underground storm runoff storage is not for placing tanks for a gas station. Once the work is in place, the city's storm retention basin north of Kia Country along North Main Street will operate more effectively, and water from both the underground facility and the open basin will be released into the city's storm drain system as capacity opens up, flowing into the French Camp Outlet and on to the San Joaquin River.
Timeline
More than 20 years ago: An earlier, larger underground stormwater project was completed behind Raising Cane's, Habit Burger, and Pandera Bread on East Yosemite Avenue.
November 7, 2026: An article describes the ongoing underground storm storage construction at Northgate Drive and Crestwood Avenue.
Legacy Infrastructure
This project follows the same underground storage approach used in the earlier East Yosemite Avenue stormwater project completed more than 20 years ago, which relied on long 60-inch culvert pipes. The newer system instead relies on private, localized storage to ease pressure on the city's existing retention basin.
Residents and businesses near Northgate Drive and Crestwood Avenue may see less localized runoff and flooding once the storage is operating. The added holding capacity may also make it easier for the area to support new development.
The takeaway
Local, privately built storage can relieve pressure on a city's shared drainage system by holding runoff during heavy rain. Residents near the project can expect the area's drainage to improve as capacity comes online.
Further reading
For more on how local drainage and water infrastructure work, explore Utilities coverage in Manteca.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Manteca Bulletin.
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