Agricultural Tile Drain Installation Licensing Program
Learn about tile drainage licensing, inspections and best practices for installing and operating on agricultural land.
Overview
The Agricultural Tile Drainage Licensing Program regulates the installation of agricultural drainage systems on agricultural land under the Agricultural Tile Drainage Installation Act, 1990 and O. Reg. 18.
Administration of the program
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) oversees the Agricultural Tile Drainage Licensing Program which issues licenses and conducts inspections of:
- drainage businesses (drainage contractors)
- machines
- operators
Drainage contractors are regulated by the Agricultural Tile Drainage Installation Act, 1990. A farmer can choose to install their own drainage system on their own property and is exempt from the Act.
More details on the licensing process and the design and installation of these systems are found in Publication 29: Drainage Guide for Ontario (the technical reference document for the Act and regulations).
Best practices
The Agricultural Tile Drainage Licensing Program promotes the use of best practices to ensure that agricultural tile drainage systems are installed and operated to provide effective drainage as part of a farmer’s crop production systems.
Learn how well-drained soil increases the opportunity to produce sustained high yield crops with proper care and rotation:
- Considerations when planning to drain land
- Maintenance of a subsurface drainage system
- Subsurface drainage system outfalls
Learn about properly designed drainage systems that remove excess water from farm soil while protecting the environment: