Mathews residents Carol Bova and G.C. Morrow are tired of water-clogged ditches, and they take every opportunity to tell the Virginia Department of Transportation to clean them out.

During last month’s board of supervisors meeting, with VDOT assistant residency administrator Joyce McGowan present, Bova read a paragraph from VDOT’s own manual for county supervisors. It says that adequate drainage is integral to maintaining a safe and structurally sound roadway and that drainage problems are responsible for most pavement failures and soil erosion.

"One of the most important duties of maintenance personnel is the repair and maintenance of the highway drainage system," read Bova, "and the importance of this activity cannot be over-emphasized."

Bova said VDOT needs to pay more attention to its own drainage policies.

In response to questions from supervisor Neena Putt, McGowan said that VDOT has no responsibility for outfall ditches that aren’t deeded to VDOT and ...