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Agricultural Drain Tile Policy - Public Works
MUNICIPALITY OF RHINELAND
POLICY NO. 2024-75
ADOPTED BY: Resolution No. 133/ 24
Last Updated: Jan 2018
DATE: April 3, 2024
Page: 1 of 3
TITLE: Agricultural Drain Tile Policy
Department: Public
Works
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy shall be to establish the guidelines for the installation of
Agricultural Drain Tile within the boundaries of the Municipality of Rhineland. The
Municipality understands there are many positive qualities resulting from drain tiling
farmland which include increased productivity, reduced risk of excess moisture and
reduced surface water runoff. Where possible the water should be part of an
integrated water management system including drainage and irrigation.
RATIONALE:
To support a structured system for the installation and maintenance of Agricultural
Drain Tile within the Municipality of Rhineland.
POLICY STATEMENT:
All drain tile installation requires tile appropriate license from Manitoba Sustainable
Development.
The purpose of this policy is to outline the construction and to provide specifications
and or conditions related to the installation of drainage tile. Given the complexity of
the wide need for tile drainage, the Municipality expects tile drainage to be installed
by a licensed operator.
1. ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURES:
The Municipality will use the following guidelines:
a. The Municipality must review and comment on all drain tile projects prior to the
work being started.
b. All construction
work and use of private works on over, along or under
Municipal Right of Ways require an application form to be filled out prior to the
commencement of construction
c. All aspects of the work must be included in the application such as size,
location, depth, dimensions, capacity, impacts on neighboring lands etc.
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Agricultural Drain Tile Policy - Public Works
d. Application to include all details of the sump pit, pumped outlet including; size,
location, capacity, pumping rate, estimated flow, slide sloping, erosion controls
and any other information relevant to the project.
e. The proponent is responsible for completing necessary locates.
f. All above ground objects/ facilities (valves, pedestals, flush outs, outlets. etc.) are
to be marked appropriately and the as-built location is to be provided to the
Municipality. Above ground objects are to be located away from ditch bottoms
and on the opposite embankment of the roadway where possible to avoid any
disturbances with future road/ ditch work.
g. Any tile drainage projects must be installed with a ¼" coefficient or less.
h. In situations where a ditch or an access/ approach requires excavation the
construction (with an appropriately sized culvert) is the responsibility of the
proponent.
i. New approaches or culvert installs must be approved by the Municipality.
j. Costs associated with culvert installations/ adjustments required as part of a
drainage project are the responsibility of the proponent.
k. If traffic control measures are required, the owner/ installer of the facility is
responsible to perform any required traffic control measures.
l. All road work and or contractors must be approved by the Public Works Director
before beginning the work.
m. Road crossing construction is to be completed during day light hours only.
n. Vegetation must surround all drainage outlets for erosion control. If no
vegetation exists, the area must be seeded with grass prior to completion.
Additional erosion controls may be required such as Rock, Rip-Rap, Geo-textile,
and other methods. If, in the opinion of the Municipality, vegetation growth near
the outlet is a concern, the owner may be responsible to take measures to
control the vegetation including mowing and maintenance up to the natural
water way and mitigate future controls.
o. If the proponent proposes to install any infrastructure under or through a
municipal right-of-way the proponent must receive approval from the
Municipality prior to the installation of the pipe and the method of the
installation must be by boring (directional drilling). This would require the
proponent to obtain a Public Works License from the Municipality.
2. In addition, the Municipality may require the following conditions:
a. The Municipality may require all drain tile outlets to be equipped with a device
or gate or approved control device to restrict or shut off the flow of water from
the drain tile system into a municipal or natural drain.
b. Lines/ Pipes are to be installed away from the ditch bottom and on the opposite
embankment of the road way where possible to avoid any disturbances with
future road/ ditch work.
c. All lift station outlet pipes may need to be rip rapped with rock and shall be
approved by the foreman prior to their operations.
d. Where possible, the drain tile outlets shall be released into a natural drain and
the Municipality may consider deepening ditches to accommodate drain tile
projects subject to council or Public Works Director Approval. There is no
obligation on the Municipality to widen or deepen ditches.
e. The proponent may be responsible for any future drain maintenance costs such
as mowing, the removal of siltation and or blocks in the drain.
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Agricultural Drain Tile Policy - Public Works
f. May require the proponents to obtain written consent from adjacent property
owners that may be affected by the water run-off;
g. The proponent may be responsible for any future drain maintenance costs such
as mowing, the removal of siltation and/ or blocks in the drain.
3. BEST PRACTICES:
a. ¼" 24 Hours Coefficient means that the piping is sized so that it can remove a
maximum of a ¼" or less of water (the water has to first get through the soil to
be removed) from the drained area over a one-day period (1/ 4"/ day is
approximately 0.01 cfs/ acre pr 4.71 gpm/ acre). For example, a 160 acre
system, designed with a ¼" / day drainage coefficient, would remove
approximately 1.6 cfs or 753.6 gpm
b. Tile drainage water shall only be discharged into a natural grassed waterway
municipal or provincial drain and shall not cross private lands without prior
licensed approval. Tile drain outlets should discharge into natural or
provincial waterways as directly as possible to minimize impact on downstream
municipal drains.
c. Where possible tile water drainage should be part of an integrated water
management strategy including drainage and irrigation.
d. Before livestock manure is applied to any tiled land, the land should be worked
to reduce the risk of any nutrients entering the tile system when installed or
during construction of drain tile.
e. No discharge of water from tile drainage will be permitted into municipal drains
after October 1 unless written authorization from the Municipality Public
Works Director is obtained to extend the date.
4. LIABILITY:
a. There is no obligation on the Municipality to improve the existing municipal
drainage system.
b. The Municipality is not liable for any damage caused to the private works or to
any accessory or related property located in the Municipality right of way and for
any consequential damage arising from any work carried out by the Municipality.
c. Failure to comply with the above rules and regulations in regards to surface or
tile drainage shall be subject to the Municipality of Rhineland's drainage
enforcement bylaw and all fines, penalties and sanctions as may be applied by
the Province of Manitoba.
5. REVISIONS
Council may, in consultation with the Policy Committee and by resolution, amend
this policy.