Belden Tile Drain

The Belden Tile Drain was established in the 1870’s and services a 66-acre watershed comprised of rural lands and residential neighborhoods in Huron Township, Wayne County. Residents and government officials were unaware of the poor condition of the 12-inch clay-tile drain until a major rainstorm hit the area in June of 2015. Several residential properties were inundated with floodwater after the storm event including one resident who had water flowing up from the Drain and out of his crawlspace. The region north of Willow Road was not draining at all after the event, and residents south of Willow Road experienced long periods of standing water and damaging sinkholes in their yards. Flooding was so severe that the Wayne County Drain Commissioner (WCDC) had pumps installed at various points along the Drain to alleviate standing water that was not reaching an outlet.

Upon review with Spicer Group, the WCDC identified that a majority of the Belden Tile Drain was beyond repair due to root intrusion, severe cracking, separation, infiltration, and severe blockage. Also, during their field investigation, the team realized that several sections of the Drain ran directly beneath houses, yards, sheds, pools, and driveways. The project team decided the best solution was to abandon the original clay-tile drain, relocate the section of the Drain south of Willow Road, and replace the stretch north of Willow Road.

Taking the helpful advice of the WCDC, Huron Township submitted a petition under Chapter 20 of the Drain Code, rather than under the typical Chapter 8 process. Chapter 20 provided Huron Township a way to finance the project and allowed for an expedited petition process of only 8 months from the date of petition to the bid opening. The project was completed in 2017.