What is the difference between a Field Tile and a Storm Sewer?
Field tiles are designed to drain cropland and facilitate crop production. Field tile sizing typically works to drain 3/8 of water per day from the ground. Storm Sewers are designed to convey storm water (rain water) immediately from the ground surface to a receiving stream. With a field tile, ponding water is expected to dry up in a matter of a few days as water infiltrates into the tile system. Storm sewers are designed to accept immediately the large volume of water that occurs as the result of a rain event. They typically have open inlets to allow water directly into the storm sewer system. Therefore, one of the chief differences is the size of the pipe. To drain the same area, storm sewers are typically many times (10+) larger than field tile.
