Ditches in Elm City; Who's responsible for the flow?

Clear flowing ditchPhoto byKatarzyna FlisonUnsplash

For many residents in the Town of Elm City, they want to know "Who is responsible for cleaning out my ditch?" During times of heavy storm rains, Elm City has a few areas prone to flooding that residents would like to have remedied if at all possible.

Before the discovery is made as to who is repsonsible for ditches in most towns or cities, it is worth taking a deeper dive into how the state of North Carolina Department of Transportation addresses these issues.

According to StarNews Staff of Wilmington StarNews, an online source (www.starnewsonline.com) accessed Tuesday September 10, 2024, the following "Q & A" segment sheds more light on the ditch dilemma.

Q. I have called the state to get my ditches dug out in my neighborhood to remove overgrowth, but they refuse to come out and do it. Am I responsible for removing this growth?

A. The N.C. Department of Transportation is not responsible for drainage issues if they fall outside of NCDOT right of way, or if they are occurring on private property or along a road that is not maintained by NCDOT according to Andrew Barksdale, NCDOT spokesperson.

For more info on a ditch or drainage issue near you, property owners can visit https://www.ncdot.gov/contact/Pages/default.aspx and select “drainage issue.”

According to the NCDOT's website, they issue the follwing statement: "​To report an issue or for questions regarding culvert blockage, please call 1-877-DOT-4YOU (1-877-368-4968) weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For emergencies, please call 911."