UPDATE: INGHAM - The petition for the eight new drain projects are resulting from last May's torrential rain.

Ingham County Drain Commissioner, Patrick Lindemann said, "When you get a heavy rain, you find things that you just can't find normally durning the inspection period, so heavy rains show us where the failures in the drain have creeped up over time, sometimes over the last 50 years."

The drain on the corner of Marsh and Haslett roads is one of the four Meridian Township drain projects that is in its planning stages.

"In Meridian Township we have four petitions, the Nemoka, Kinawa View, Chippewa Hills, and Ember Oaks, those are ongoing and came to us before the rainstorms." said Lindemann.

The hardest part about some of these drains is finding somewhere for the water to go while under construction.

Lindemann says, "There's never any one cookie-cutter kind of solution, they're all different and they're all very complex. They require very smart, talented professionals to try to solve."

Last year, Ingham country received 6.7 inches in less than 5 hours, which is what lead to the various drain projects.

Most of the projects are still in the research phase, but the beginnings of the repairs will begin this summer.

The Drain Commissioner also mentioned that most of the past drainage projects have been completed under budget and ahead of schedule.


ORIGINAL STORY: INGHAM - At the March 6th Township Board Meeting, there was a petition for eight big drain project for Ingham county.