Ditching 

The Council's Highways and Engineering's drainage team maintain ditches and open watercourses

Ditches and open watercourses catch surface water from highways and transport it to main rivers. Many areas rely on ditches to drain highways. Ditches off the adopted highway are the responsibility of the riparian owner.

The Environment Agency has general responsibility for major watercourses (main rivers) which they maintain or serve 'notice' to ensure that riparian owners maintain them.

In recent years we have improved the ditching network by constructing permanent water grips into the majority of the ditches and watercourses in the Vale. This reduces maintenance problems and provides a permanent access point for water to be taken off the highway.