If you've ever looked at the open ditch running along your Whitby street and wondered why it hasn't been filled in, the Town has an answer: that strip of grass is doing a job.
In a recent explainer published to its website, the Town of Whitby said roadside ditches and swales collect and direct rainwater and snowmelt, while the culvert — the pipe beneath a driveway — lets water pass through without blocking the drainage route. Together, they help move water through neighbourhoods and protect homes and properties from flooding.
The article is part of the Town's ongoing "Facts. Not Fiction" series, which aims to correct misconceptions about municipal services.
Ditches can be changed — but only properly
Residents who dislike the look of an open ditch aren't necessarily stuck with it. The Town said an open ditch can, in some circumstances, be replaced with a properly designed culvert or other drainage system — but the drainage still has to work.
Whitby has an Engineering Standard for ditch infill, identified as Drawing No. 515, which sets requirements for the replacement culvert, drainage grades and elevations, and how the infill itself is designed, according to the Town of Whitby news release.
There's also a neighbourly wrinkle: if a ditch fronts two properties, written consent from the adjacent property owner may be required.
Permits may be needed
The Town cautioned that changing the grade of a property or altering a drainage route can affect where water ends up — potentially on your own property or a neighbour's. Depending on the work, a site alteration permit or another type of permit may be required.
Residents adding a culvert to their property or development may also need a site alteration permit from the Town. Details are available through the Town's road and culvert permit information online.
Property owners are also responsible for making sure changes to their land don't interfere with how a swale, ditch, culvert, catch basin or other drainage feature functions, the Town said.
An engineering question, not a landscaping one
The Town's bottom line for residents: that ditch that looks like an outdated strip of grass may be doing exactly what it was designed to do. And while there may be a way to change it, the Town framed the decision as an engineering question rather than a simple landscaping choice.
The release encourages residents to get information about how local systems work directly from the source rather than relying on neighbourhood speculation.
Residents looking for more municipal news can sign up for the Town's news updates at whitby.ca/Subscribe. The Town is also reminding voters to check whether they're on the Voters' List and to find voting information at whitby.ca/VOTE.
