56 Advertising Section | All content supplied by LICO Drainage Directory | August 2024 Under the Agricultural Tile Drainage Installation Act (ATDIA), Ontario farmers are assured that licensed drainage contractors are competent and using adequate equipment. Licenses are issued to businesses, drainage machines (plows, wheel and chain) and to their operators; Farmers can find an up-to-date list of licensed drainage contractors on OMAFA’s website. While Ontario’s contractors and their equipment may be some of the best in the world, there could still be concerns with a job. If landowners or farmers have complaints about workmanship, the best resolution is an agreement reached between the landowner and the contractor. When that fails, there are a couple of different options to settle a dispute, with the last resort being court resolution, as both legal costs and the cost of damaged business reputations would be substantial. Contractors are trained and licensed professionals. They are responsible for proper design and installation but not for the soil’s response to the system. A farmer must properly manage the soil and its infiltration capacity. For contractors, the first step to avoid an issue or complaint is to follow the design guidelines and best installation practices outlined in the Drainage Guide for Ontario (Publication 29), which includes: • Designing the system to ensure that pipes are properly sized with the needed cover, • Ensuring the drainage system has legal and sufficient outlet before beginning a project, • Avoiding any provincially signifi cant wetlands, • Understanding soil types by dig- ging test holes, especially in areas with potential of iron ochre or quicksand, • Avoiding installing tile runs directly parallel to the direction that the field will be worked, • Ensuring proper soil conditions during installation, avoiding com- paction, smearing, etc. • Ensuring a Class A licensed opera- tor is doing installation or is adequately supervising other licensed operators, • Installing laterals starting from the main, avoiding ‘top-down’ installa- tion, and • Using certified drainage pipe and stronger pipe as required. Lastly, unexpected issues can increase the final cost beyond the initial quote to your client, so it is best to communicate in advance, perhaps in AVOID ISSUES WITH YOUR DRAINAGE CONTRACTOR By Mel Luymes, LICO Drainage Directory
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc0MDI3