Drainage
Drainage problems can be on your land or in your basement.
Most drainage complaints involve private property and must be handled as civil matters. No county or township agency has authority to maintain or improve storm drainage facilities across an individual's property. They also don't have authority to make someone or their neighbor do anything.
There are provisions of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) that address drainage problems. Ohio State University Extension has provided an overview of the Ohio Drainage Laws.
In almost all cases, the landowner must initiate the action to resolve the drainage dispute or make the drainage improvement. Alternatives an individual might consider to resolve a drainage problem are:
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Landowner may choose to do nothing and accept the consequences, such as continues flooding, flood damage, etc., and possible future litigation by a third party. Many landowners do select this alternative.
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The landowner may work voluntarily with other landowners involved in the same drainage problem, and try to work out an agreement to pay the necessary costs and construct the improvements.
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The landowner may consult a qualified attorney to present a case for getting the drainage problem resolved in a court of law.
Most often the landowner is trying to collect damages resulting from the neglect of others to properly address a drainage problem. The Butler SWCD is not a regulatory agency; we do not have the authority to tell property owners what they can and can not do with their land. An appointment can be made to discuss options with landowners to address the drainage concern.