Did you know that a great deal of rural properties have culverts? You may even have one on your property and did not realize what it is or what it does. A culvert is a section of pipe that is used to divert water under a driveway or road. Culverts provide excessive amounts of water a place to collect and then drain into larger drainage systems that are located within the ground. They can be extremely helpful when there are torrential downpours, a vast quantity of snow suddenly melts, or a significant amount of water is released on the property for commercial or industrial purposes.
In essence, the culvert receives water from a system of ditches designed to collect storm water runoff from the surrounding area. They certainly tend to collect dirt and debris that is washed into the ditches. If this debris builds up too much, the culvert can become blocked, and cause severe drainage problems that can damage driveways and roads that are located near the culvert. In a worst case scenario a culvert that is not maintained in the proper manner will flood the local area. That is why it is so important to avoid putting off culvert maintenance.
Who Is Responsible For Culvert Maintenance?
In most cases, if the culvert is located on your property, you are fully responsible for residential culvert maintenance and repair. Keep in mind that repair can be extremely costly, so it is in your best interest to maintain the culvert on a regular basis. Culverts tend to fill up and become blocked with both natural debris and trash. For example, grass, weeds, and other summer growth, along with fall leaves can quickly fill the culvert. Trash tends to collect in culverts as well. Silt accumulates over time and can also cause severe drainage issues.
Organic matter and other debris should never be allowed to reduce the drainage, otherwise known as the water flow, by more than 20%. If the culvert is not properly maintained in the autumn, or the water flow is restricted by more than 20%, serious drainage problems may very well occur during the springtime when winter snows melt at a rapid pace. If the culvert is adjacent to a public roadway, or another person’s property, routine inspections and maintenance are needed in order to avoid flooding that could damage the city/town’s property or your neighbors’ property.
In most cases, you will need to pay for the damages out of pocket. This is due to the fact that if the damage resulted in a flood, it is technically your fault. Typically speaking, homeowners and commercial property insurance policies do not cover flooding. Unless you happen to carry a separate flood insurance policy you are out of luck. Even if the flood only damages your property, the same principal applies. That means you may be facing thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage that you will need to pay for out of pocket.
A Professional Culvert Inspection And Cleaning Specialist Will Help You Avoid Problems
Removing silt, organic debris, trash, vegetation and small trees is a nasty job, but should be a part of your culvert maintenance routine. The good news is that you do not need to attempt doing the work yourself. It is much faster and surprisingly affordable to hire a professional culvert inspection and cleaning specialist. In addition to cleaning, they will examine the culvert inlets and outlets for signs of deterioration, damage or soil erosion. These can indicate more serious problems that need to be addressed by civil engineering professionals.
Regular culvert maintenance can extend the life of the culvert and help you avoid costly repairs. It also allows the technician to inspect the condition of the culvert, and identify any problems with the lining or the culvert construction that could lead to catastrophic failures.
In conclusion, putting off culvert maintenance can end up costing you a significant amount of money. Jolin is here to take care of your entire culvert related needs. If you have any questions or would like to schedule service we are happy to help. Jolin Paving & Excavating, Inc. is your New England connection for a vast variety of environmentally related services. Our company has been serving Boston Massachusetts, Southern NH, VT & ME as well as Northern CT & RI since 1952. Please Contact us to learn more today.
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