Logan County Highway Department

Maintenance of Drainage Tile

In many locations within the Right-of-Way administered by the Logan County Highway Department, there exists drainage tile. The condition of these existing tiles is extremely variable. While most drain tiles go unnoticed through much of their useful life, others require periodic maintenance in order to operate effectively. The most typical indication that a drainage tile needs to be maintained is a scour hole that develops at the soil surface as a result of a crushed or broken drainage tile. The surrounding soil becomes displaced, and is often washed away through the drainage tile system. In order for these drainage tiles to operate effectively, broken tiles should be repaired and properly backfilled.

In the instance where an existing drainage tile is located on the public right-of-way, and where the existing drainage tile does not benefit the highway, the maintenance responsibility lies with the owner of the drainage tile system. Based on Illinois Highway Code (605 ILCS 5, Article 9) and the opinion of the Deputy Chief Counsel of the Illinois Department of Transportation, the local highway authority has no obligation to maintain the drainage tile.

The Logan County Highway Department has a responsibility to protect and maintain the roadway, including the shoulders and embankment. Therefore:

The Logan County Highway Department may repair drainage tile located within the public right-of-way under its jurisdiction if the conditions threaten the structural integrity of the roadway. If the broken or crushed drainage tile does not threaten the structural integrity of the roadway, the Logan County Highway Department will not plan to make repairs to the drainage tile.

Unless otherwise approved, it will be the responsibility of the local landowner or drainage tile owner to repair any tile that causes a scour hole located at the flowline or backslope of the ditch. A permit will be needed before any excavation can occur in the public right-of-way. These permits are available at no charge from the Logan County Highway Department.

This policy has been approved by the Road and Bridge Committee of the Logan County Board on June 5th, 2006.