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CULVERTS POLICY
Policy Number
P2024-10
Classification
MUN
Effective Date
November 4, 2024
Approval Authority
COUNCIL
Supersedes
Mandated Review
2027
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to clarify the responsibilities of repair or replacement and control
of standards and quality of work for driveway culverts within the limits of the City of Bathurst.
2. SCOPE
This Policy applies to all properties within the limits of the City of Bathurst.
3. DEFINITIONS
(1)
CITY
means the City of Bathurst
(2)
COUNCIL
means the mayor and councillors of the municipality
(3)
DITCH
means a trench dug in the ground for the drainage of surface
water
(4)
DRIVEWAY
CULVERT
means a private entrance across a ditch constructed from a
pipe laid on the bottom of the ditch in the direction of the flow
and covered with fill material to allow access while
maintaining the normal water flow
(5)
INSPECTION means an on-site inspection by a municipal employee
(6)
OWNER
means the person whose name is entered for the purpose of the
assessment of a property pursuant to the Assessment Act.
4. POLICY STATEMENT
The City Engineer, appointed by the council, is responsible for implementing this policy.
All work related to main driveway culverts as well as secondary driveway culverts must be
established under supervision and according to the requirements of the municipality as
stipulated in section 2.
The responsibility for installation, maintenance, repair and replacement of all driveway
culverts within the limits of the City of Bathurst are allocated as follows;
1. Types of work required
a) Responsibility of the property owner
i. Installation
ii. Relocation
iii. Extension
iv. *Maintenance for debris originating from the property
v. Repair
vi. Replacement
Any new access to a property, replacement or the extension of a driveway culvert must be
submitted to the municipality for authorization.
The owner must complete and submit the Municipal Agreement Form attached in
Appendix A before any of the stipulated work can begin.
The municipality will provide written approval or refusal of the request.
Design specifications and sight distances must be respected before authorization can be
issued and before work can begin.
*All residents are required to keep debris from their property clear of the drainage ditch,
any debris originating from the property which obstructs the drainage path shall be
removed at the property owner's expense.
Permit requests must be made in advance of work being done.
If a driveway culvert on a property affects the flow of water, the owner, at his own expense,
will repair or replace it within thirty (30) days of notice from the municipality. Should the
owner refuse or fail to complete the work, the municipality reserves the right to remove the
culvert at the owner's expense.
b) Responsibility of the City
i. Replacement required due to realignment of the ditch or grade
ii. Maintenance for debris originating from the street
iii. Repair of damage caused by City equipment
iv. Repair or maintenance as deemed necessary by the City in order to maintain the
integrity of the roadway
The City of Bathurst will not be responsible for the culvert if any alterations are made to
the original culvert or if the culvert is damaged by the owner.
The municipality is responsible for repairing and restoring to its original condition, or as
close as possible, any private driveway damaged by repairs, maintenance or operations
carried out by the municipality up to the maximum residential or commercial length
mentioned in section 2.h).
However, it is noted that existing wooden retaining walls or other vertical walls damaged
by repair work will be replaced by riprap.
2. Installation Standards and Authorized Culvert Types
a) A driveway culvert must allow free flow of water at all times.
b) Each driveway culvert must be designed to create a stable and durable crossing
withstanding sufficient loads.
c) Where soil bearing capacity is low, the culvert must be installed on a minimum of 150
mm crushed stone surface. The entrance culvert must be backfilled with compacted
granular cushion as recommended by the municipality.
d) The thickness of 0-34,5 mm (0-1¼ in.) gravel backfill to be installed above the culvert
must be sufficient to prevent the culvert from lifting during freezing and thawing.
e) The slope of the entrance culvert must be identical to the natural slope of the ditch
(minimum 0.5%) and without any deflection in either horizontal or vertical alignment.
f) The driveway culvert must be installed so that the bottom is level with the natural
ground, to avoid creating stagnant water.
g) Unless otherwise approved by the municipality, all culverts must be corrugated plastic
polyethylene (PE) pipe with a smooth coating conforming to CAN/CSA 8182.6 and a
minimum strength of 320 kPa as per ASTMD2412.
h) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and galvanized corrugated steel pipes are not permitted.
However, Class III reinforced concrete pipes may be permitted in certain cases, subject
to municipal approval.
i) Pipe diameter must be approved by the City Engineering Department.
j) Pipes installed by the owner must be in good condition and recognized as such by the
municipality.
k) A municipal employee will visit the site to inspect the work. The municipality must be
contacted at least 72 hours before the work is carried out.
3. Obstruction and Filling of Drainage Ditches
a) No one shall block a watercourse or ditch or fill a drainage ditch. Only the municipality
or a developer may install the storm sewer system. If an owner wishes to fill a ditch on
any property, a request for authorization must be sent to the municipality.
b) Anyone who has intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly, obstructed a
ditch in front of their property, shall correct the defect or have it corrected by the one
who caused the defect within 7 days or as instructed by the municipality.
c) In the event of ditch repairs or any other intervention carried out under municipal
authority, culverts that must be removed will be rebuilt at no cost to the owner, provided
the pipes are in good condition and of a quality or diameter compatible with the
requirements of section 2 of this policy. If this is not the case, the owner must
immediately provide a replacement pipe that complies with this policy, failing which
the culvert will not be rebuilt.
4. Construction Season
a) In order to allow the municipality to carry out the work set out in this policy, the normal
construction period is from May 15th to October 31st of each year, depending on the
weather. No work may be carried out between October 31 and May 15, except in the
case of emergency repairs or with the approval of the municipality.
5. Sanctions
a) If work is carried out without the municipality's authorization, an assessment will be
made to determine whether the work complies with policy guidelines.
b) In case of non-compliance with the established standards, a written warning shall be
served to the said individual advising them to correct the defect within thirty (30) days
of the warning.
c) Once the deadline has passed, the municipality reserves the right to carry out the
necessary work at the owner's expense.
d) The municipality may request from an appropriate court, including at the initial trial,
for an order for full reimbursement of legal fees incurred, including costs and expenses
of prosecution in all proceedings against the individual, partnership or association
found guilty of any violation of the provisions of this policy.
5. RELATED DOCUMENTS
- Municipal Agreement Form.
6. REVISION HISTORY
Date
(mm/dd/yyyy)
Description
of Change
Sections
Person who
Entered Revision
(Position Title)
Person who
Authorized
Revision (Position
Title)