Frequently Asked Questions About 
Water Drainage Systems*

(* These questions pertain to drainage projects outside municpal jurisdictions)

1.  Why is drainage system maintenance necessary?

Most of the subsurface clay tile that was installed over 100 years ago has broken down because of freezing and thawing, been crushed from the weight of modern equipment and the overlying soil, or clogged with sediment and plant residue.  Drainage ditches eventually fill in with sediment and become choked with brush and Trees.  Even the concrete structures  such as those involved in urban storm water systems can weather because of exposure to the elements.  In short, any man-made system will decay over time to a point where it is no longer functional if not maintained regularly.


2. How is drainage system maintenance paid for?

Property owners pay for the cost of drainage system maintenance.  The County   Treasurer collects assessments for this maintenance in conjunction with property  taxes. The money collected is dedicated for use only within the project area from which it was collected. 

3. Why is it the landowner’s responsibility to pay for drainage system maintenance?

In cities, residents pay for sewer and water services.  Likewise, drainage costs in rural areas are also borne by the local residents.  Under state law, all the land that drains into a project on the maintenance program is required to share in the cost of that maintenance.  This assessment can be compared to insurance.  Like insurance premiums, assessments are used to keep the whole system functioning at the designed level, in addition to paying for the repair of damages, should a failure occur. 

4. What are typical drainage system maintenance activities?

Depending on the type of drainage structure, maintenance activities vary.  For open ditches and grass waterways, mowing and spraying for noxious weeds is the most frequent activity. Occasionally, washed out areas may need reseeded or covered with rip rap (large gravel); certain outlet structures may need replacing, such as a rusted metal tile outlet pipe, or a badly weathered concrete drop box (channels water from a tile to a ditch).

Subsurface drainage tile can traverse crop fields, grassed waterways, residential yards, parks, or beneath roads.  Montgomery SWCD is responsible for maintaining the main (largest diameter) tile, but lateral connections are the responsibility of the individual property owner. Some of the maintenance concerns for tile include tree root removal, clearing clogged sections of plant debris or sediment, repairing improper lateral connections or breaks caused by utility company digging.

5. Will assessments for drainage maintenance ever stop being collected?

No.  However, Ohio Revised Code states that the maximum balance of a maintenance account at any one time cannot exceed 20% of the construction cost. The original construction cost is adjusted every six years to account for inflation.

6. How long does drainage system maintenance continue?

Maintenance is an ongoing, continuous upkeep of drainage systems, aimed at keeping them working efficiently.  All maintenance projects are reviewed every six years.  This review is done at an open meeting and public comments are welcomed.  

7. Why doesn’t the county and/or township maintain these water drainage systems?

The county and township road departments use money from road taxes to maintain roads in their jurisdiction.  These funds can only be used for water drainage systems when they lie within the road right-of-way.

8. What are drainage easements?

A drainage easement is an area of a property that is reserved, first and foremost, for maintenance activities.  An agricultural drainage easement can be an area around the following: tile, grass waterway, open ditch, or other outlet structure.  The size of the drainage easement depends on the type of drainage structure.

9. Can anything be planted or built within the easement area?

It’s always alright to plant grass in an easement area.  No man-made objects such as buildings, landscaping should ever be placed in an easement area.  Planting trees should also be avoided.  If such objects are placed in an easement area, they can be removed at the landowner’s cost and not be replaced.  If maintenance activities require the disturbance of a grassed area, it will be regraded and seeded or sodded following completion of the maintenance activities.

10. Why do projects implemented by the Soil and Water District cost more than
      projects organized on a volunteer basis? 

Regardless of what type of design is used, the standards adopted by Montgomery SWCD emphasize structural longevity and integrity. In other words, the design that requires the least amount of maintenance will cost less in the long run, even though the initial cost may be more. Also, projects designed by District technicians are designed to handle a storm event of a specified duration. If structural failure occurs under those conditions, the cost of repairs is covered through the partnership that the District has with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture.

These are conditions very difficult to achieve and maintain if the work is done on a volunteer basis. This means that landowners would have to hire an engineering design firm, and pay for the project cost up front. To protect their investment, they would then have to create a financial mechanism to share the costs of long-term maintenance. The only option to this would be if the project were constructed under the engineering standards adopted by the District, then it could be taken under maintenance