Drain maintenance

We are responsible for the maintenance of these drainage schemes, which ensure good channel capacity and efficient land drainage.

Maintenance includes:

• weed control
• prevention of bank and bed erosion 
• removal of blockages from trees or sediment
• upkeep of culverts and flood gates.

Each year, we remove weeds using spraying or mechanical removal. Following the drainage system from property to property is an efficient use of equipment to carry out this work and results in cost savings for ratepayers.

We need good access to carry out maintenance on these drains. Trees, hedges and other vegetation must not prevent access or the ability of people or machinery to enter the drain to carry out this work.

• It is your responsibility to maintain trees or hedges next to drains so they do not prevent drain maintenance or create blockages. Please collect any trimmings to avoid blockages in culverts downstream.
• While any support reducing weed growth alongside drains is appreciated, please be careful not to overspray banks, as good grass or plant cover helps reduce erosion. We advise spot spraying weeds such as gorse and broom with aquatic-approved chemicals and not blanket spraying the bank.
• To prevent damage to services like pipes or wires across drains, we encourage landowners to install markers to highlight where these need to be avoided.

The Flood Protection and Drainage Bylaw prevents landowners from putting in fences and other structures, and planting trees and other vegetation within 7.5 metres from the top of the drain bank without our written permission. There is no cost for this permission and we can help by providing advice.