The RM of Stanley plans on improving drainage throughout the Municipality this summer.

Reeve Morris Olafson said they will be completing 12 miles of ditching in 2018.

"We have gone and hired an extra excavator for two more years, which we have done for the past 3-5 years previous," said Olafson.

The extra excavator was hired for 1,000 hours during 2018, some of which will be used to help cover what the Municipality expects is around 1,000 hours in drainage projects this year.

"If we have a big water event, our machines are tied up and we eat up those hours," said Olafson.

Stanley is working on roughly 16-20 major drainage issues across the entire Municipality.

Olafson said the list of projects is getting shorter, though some have been on the list for some time.

"Drainage work is a maintenance thing," said Olafson.

Another factor is the installation of drain tiling, Olafson said, and added drain tiling is better for water control though it changes how drainage occurred in the past.

"It's not rain events so much anymore," said Olafson. "We get the rain and you get the extra drainage from the drain tile, which is continuing it on for however long it takes to drain off that piece of property in a slower manner."

The municipality spends roughly $300,000 annually on drainage, ditching, and culvert replacements.