The Town of Innisfil is responsible for a variety of municipal drains to help contain run-off and avoid flooding. A municipal drain is a drainage system that helps watercourses direct water within a watershed. In some instances, natural features of these drains run across private property. Municipal drains can include:
- Creeks and rivers
- Dykes or berms
- Pumping stations
- Buffer strips
- Grassed walkways
- Storm water detention ponds
- Culverts
- Bridges
- Ditches
- Closed systems such as pipes or tiles buried in the ground
While the Town is responsible for the maintenance of municipal drains, all the landowners within the watershed share in the cost of drain maintenance. Due to the shared cost of drain maintenance, projects associated with drain work undergo a rigid public process.
Municipal drain projects
Learn more about municipal drain projects in the Town of Innisfil:
Drainage Act
Municipal drains are created under the Drainage Act. The municipality constructs the project and adopts an engineer's report through a by-law that outlines how the cost of the work is assessed to the lands in the watershed. Once constructed under the by-law, the municipality is responsible for repairing and maintaining the municipal drain. For more information about municipal drains and what they mean for property owners, see the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Municipal Drain Fact Sheet.
Drainage map
View the Town of Innisfil's drainage map to find out about drainage patterns in our community.