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Pipes installed in ditches can present problems
(by Joan Demirjian - September 15, 2010)
Pipes installed in ditches can present problems
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
When pipes are installed in roadside ditches, problems can arise when they get backed up with silt, debris and even soccer balls.
Russell Township Trustees heard about such a matter Sept. 1. Fox Den Drive resident Penny Young said her basement was flooded because of blocked pipes in the ditch at a neighbor's property.
Russell Road Superintendent Gene Layne said two property owners had installed pipes, a 12-inch one and a 4-inch one, and an older one was a problem after a storm.
He said the pipes were obstructions to the natural water flow. After talking with one of the property owners, the pipe is being removed, he said. "We recommended that they take out the pipes."
The ditches are deep enough to accommodate water, he said.
As in other communities, Russell requires that a property owner obtain a permit from the township before installing a ditch pipe.
"We require permits to put them in and they have to meet all the requirements, and I have to approve it," Mr. Layne said.
An open swale can handle more water than a pipe, he said. "If the water backs up, it can rise up on the banks. But a pipe can handle only so much.
"It's so important to have the right size pipe," he said. Under-sizing them is a problem, he said.
"We see that quite a bit," Mr. Layne said. And it can become a battle between neighbors.
Most often, the ditch is enclosed with a pipe for ease in mowing and trimming, he said.
Auburn Trustee John Eberly said, "We strongly discourage them, and they have to do it with a permit at their own risk. Maintenance is a problem."
If they don't have a lot of slope, they can get filled with silt. "The whole purpose of a road ditch is to drain the road bed," Mr. Eberly said. "That's why the ditch is there."
"You have to keep the ditches operating to keep roads in shape, he said.
A pipe has to be sized for a 25-year rain event and the township wants a low swale over the enclosure so mowing can be done.
In one subdivision, the ditches were 5 to 6 feet deep, and the township permitted the pipes, according to Mr. Eberly. However, everyone is responsible for them, even though they are in the road right of way.
"But we try to dissuade people," he said. "I've dug out a couple in my 20 years.
Geauga County Engineer Robert Phillips said the county has a permitting process for enclosing a ditch.
"Occasionally, a request is denied if we don't think it's in the best interest of the area," Mr. Phillips said.
"The big issue is when it is not done properly and the pipe isn't the right size," he said. "And not every ditch needs to be enclosed.
"People might think it's the best way to maintain the ditch, but we try to make slopes gentle so they can mow them," Mr. Phillips said.
Darrell Johnson, South Russell Village streets commissioner, said ditch enclosures most often are requested by a resident for maintenance reasons.
"A lot of people ask for them," he said of the pipes in ditches. "It's a maintenance issue and they want to get rid of the deep swales.
"We take a look and advise them because it is in a right of way, and they have to put in the proper size," he said.
"We like to see a swale on top and recommend inlets to the pipe to let water flow into the pipe, which should be 12 inches to 15 inches," Mr. Johnson said.
With smooth plastic pipes, debris does not get stuck inside as it does with the metal pipes with ribbing. And they don't rot out, he said. "We recommend the plastic," Mr. Johnson said.
The village has done some of its own ditch enclosures, as on Bell Road where the swales were 8 to 10 feet deep. "We've done from Laurelbrook to Route 306," he said.
The projects have been completed in phases since 1996. "We still have one or two other sections. Those are maintenance and safety issues for us," Mr. Johnson said.
Bainbridge allows ditch enclosures, but residents must obtain a permit, according to Bainbridge Road Superintendent Wally Rudyk.
And once residents install the pipes, they are responsible for maintaining and fixing them, he said.
"We don't install or maintain them," Mr. Rudyk said. "They have to get a contractor to put them in."
They do not have to be plastic, but plastic does last for many years,
he said.
The problems arise when something gets stuck in the pipes, including stones, debris and kids' balls, Mr. Rudyk said.
"We used to frown on it, but now we allow it," he said.
A $50 permit is required, which he will review before the pipe is installed.
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