County Drains

A County Drain may be an open ditch, stream or underground pipe, retention pond or swale that conveys storm water. These drains become designated as County Drains through a process where a local city, village or township petitions the Water Resources Commissioner to establish a County Drain. In some cases, property owners may also file petitions to establish Drains under the County's jurisdiction based upon the Drain Code of 1956, Act 40. This Drain Code established by the State of Michigan is the guideline followed by the Water Resources Commissioner in the operations and classification of drain systems in Oakland County.

Not all drains are County Drains.

There are other drains in Oakland County, including roadside ditches, pipes and culverts under roads that drain state highways and county roads. These are maintained by the Oakland County Road Commission and/or local public works departments. Some local municipalities (cities, villages and townships of Oakland County) maintain and operate their own stormwater and sewer lines, and have public works departments that handle requests and information about those services.

In addition, drain systems that are not County drains and are not along roads may also be the property owners' responsibility.

To determine if a drain is part of the County Drain system, please contact our office.

Special Assessments for Chapter 4 Drains

The Drain Code Act 40 of 1956 gives the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner powers and responsibilities to govern legally established drainage systems within the county. One of the many duties of the water resources commissioner includes maintaining existing drains and establishing or constructing new drains. To fund this work, the Drain Code provides for the enacting of a special assessment roll for county-established drains for the residents and each township, city and village affected by the drain.

The dates for the day of review for new special assessment rolls can be found on our Public Meetings page. The day of review will take place from 9am - 5pm at the Water Resources Commissioner's Office.

The special assessments for 2021 can be found within the 2021 Assessment Rolls. This list reflects on-going maintenance assessments and specific parcel questions can be answered by calling the hotline number 248-858-0611, select option 2, then enter in the 10 digit parcel number followed by the pound key.

FAQ

County drainage districts are separate public entities. Each drainage district is supported by a drain special assessment that covers the cost of maintenance for drainage system.

The WRC office has maps and aerial photos that can show the location of your property and the county drains within the drainage district. These documents will be available on the day of review. Even if your property does not touch the county drain, storm water flows toward county drains regardless of the land's elevation.

All properties within a drainage district are assessed according to a number of factors. These factors include, size of the parcel, land use, proximity of the parcel to the drain and location of the parcel within the drainage district.

All property owners within a drainage district receive an assessment, unless exempted by law. Also, the municipality, Oakland County, the Road Commission of Oakland County and the Michigan Department of Transportation may receive an assessment for a portion of the costs.

The day of review is when residents are able to review the maintenance efforts and cost of the drainage assessment. During this day of review residents will be given the opportunity to inform the water resources commissioner's office of any other maintenance issues. Attendance is not required. Information, including the cost and apportionment, will be mailed to residents.

If you are unable to attend the day of review and have questions regarding your assessment or the process, please call our office and a WRC representative would be happy to set up a time to speak with you about your assessment.

An appeal of a drain special assessment can be made to the Oakland County Probate Court within 10 days after the day of review.

Drain assessments appear on your winter property tax bill as a special assessment and are paid with your property taxes. Drain assessments may be assessed over multiple years to help spread out the cost.