Brant County landowners could face drainage bill of up to $50,000

Some property owners in Brant County could face a bill of up to nearly $50,000 for the expansion and upkeep of a municipal drain.

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Currently, the Bennett municipal drain spans more than 4,000 meters in the Middle Townline Road area of ​​Harley, between Ninth and Tenth Concession roads.

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Because stormwater managed through the provincial drainage act is a user-pay system, more than 60 property owners whose runoff water flows into the drain are responsible for a portion of the cost of improvements.

The lowest assessment is quoted at $345, with the highest around $47,000, based on property size and which parts of the drain are involved, Robert Walton, general manager of operations for the county, told The Spectator.

Despite the cost, landowners have largely spoken in favor of the project at on-site meetings over the past couple years, according to an engineer’s report prepared in December 2023 by RJ Burnside & Associates Limited.

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Standing water has been an issue for multiple residents, in some cases leading to damaged farm equipment, unfarmable areas of land, and “riverlike conditions” after heavy rain, according to the report.

At a public meeting on Feb. 20, resident Brian Van Doormaal voiced his support for the drain revitalization, calling his backyard “a swamp.”

The Bennett municipal drain was originally constructed in 1911, and updated in 1968.

Though an additional $70,000 in repairs have been made since 2010, the system is in “poor condition,” according to the report.

A pair of local property owners petitioned for major improvements through the drainage act in August 2021.

Two additional requests followed, including one from the county’s roads department, according to the report.

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It’s the largest current drainage project in the county in scope, but far from the only one.

As of December 2023, there were around 10 active drainage reports being prepared for the county, with approximately 20 additional maintenance projects underway as required by the drainage act, Walton said.

It could mean costs for additional residents in affected areas — one factor influencing the county’s proposed stormwater utility fee — to prevent the rural residents from getting dinged a second time through their taxes, Walton said.

The project could be tendered for this construction season, once council passes the bylaw — assuming there are no appeals to the Ontario Drainage Tribunal — Walton told the administration and operations committee on Feb. 20, adding that financing options will be offered to landowners.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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