- Drainage Services are provided through a shared-services agreement with the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex
- The Drainage Superintendent is in the Adelaide Metcalfe Office on Tuesdays and Thursdays (8:00 am - 3:00 pm)
- If you are a landowner and have concerns with excess water on your property or need to improve drainage on agricultural land, please contact the Drainage Superintendent.
- The most common drainage matters fall under drain maintenance and drain construction. The Drainage Superintendent can help determine which applies to you situation after discussing the matter with you and visiting your property.
- Access Adelaide Metcalfe Drainage Map (Updated June 2020)
Drain Maintenance
Drainage works may be completed as maintenance if an existing drainage report can be used, The following works may be covered under maintenance.
- Brushing of banks
- Bottom cleanout
- Culvert repairs/replacement
- Bank erosion control
- Catch basin cleanout and repairs
- Tile repairs and flushing
To learn more information and view required forms please visit the OMAFRA Drainage Information page.
Drain Construction
Drainage works that require a new engineer's report may include the following:
- Installation of a new drain
- Installation of a new culvert
- Drain realignment
- Change of use or subsequent connection
- New assessment schedule
To learn more information and view required forms please visit the OMAFRA Drainage Information page.
Costs for Drainage Work
Both repairs to drains and the construction of drains are paid by the property owners who are assessed on the applicable drainage report(s). Costs are billed to the property owner(s) after the repair or construction has been completed.
Drain Maintenance:
- Amounts over $500.00 are invoiced to property owners as one installment due within 30 days of the billing date
- Amounts under $500.00 are collected on the tax roll
Drain Construction:
- All amounts are invoiced to property owners as one installment due within 30 days of the billing date
The Agricultural Drainage Infrastructure Program (ADIP) is run by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMFRA), which offers a one-third grant agricultural grant to eligible farmland properties to help with the cost of drainage maintenance and capital projects.
Tile Drainage
Installing tile drainage is a very common land improvement practice among farmers in Ontario. Corrugated plastic tubing, clay and concrete drain tile are installed beneath the surface of agricultural land to drain excess water from the crop root zone. The benefits of tile drainage for crop productivity, farm efficiency and even for reducing environmental impacts have been studied and are generally well-known to farmers.
More information is available on the OMAFRA Tile Loan Program.
Tile loan applications can be downloaded here.