That whenever a petition signed by not less than five landowners, duly verified by one or more of such petitioners, shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the district court of the county in which any drainage district shall have been created under and by virtue of Laws 1907, chapter 197, and acts amendatory thereof, which petition shall specify the probable amounts of repairs and additional work necessary to be done to preserve and accomplish the purposes for which such drainage district was created, it shall be the duty of the judge to designate and appoint, instead of the commission named in the aforesaid sections, a new commission, which shall have all the powers and duties and exercise all the authority provided in such aforesaid sections, and shall proceed without delay, as therein directed, to institute the proceedings necessary to procure the repairs and work specified in such petition.
K.S.A. 24-712