Edward River Council has committed to further investigating the constraints of Deniliquin’s drainage infrastructure functions based on the impacts of last week’s deluge.
Roads flooded temporarily, and some buildings suffered roof damage and inundation under the strength of the downpour, which, according to the Bureau of Meteorology delivered more than 30mm of rain in a few hours Thursday last week.
Some residents recorded more in their personal rain gauges.
While a far cry from the 2023 rain event which delivered more than 100mm and flooded half the town, the number of roads covered in water from last week’s event prompted some questions and concerns from residents.
Council said a review and maintenance of drainage networks was undertaken after the 2023 event, which has provided some relief, but said broader drainage upgrades require detailed investigations and funding allocations.
“Moving forward, ERC remains committed to ensuring our drainage infrastructure functions effectively,” a council spokesperson said.
“ERC’s CEO will spend time touring the constraints of the drainage network with operational staff to ensure he is up-to-date with all the factors contributing to localised flooding and the actions needed to alleviate it.
“Planned actions include ongoing inspections and clearing of blockages, conducting necessary drainage repairs to improve performance, reviewing drainage networks in alignment with national and state standards and engaging with affected residents to gather further insights into recurring drainage concerns.
“Council is also working closely with the NSW Government’s Regional Delivery Division-South West with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to improve our understanding of environmental factors affecting local communities.
“ERC has successfully secured grant funding to undertake a Major Overland Flood Study.
“Initiatives such as these will assist to develop strategic renewal, capital works, and maintenance programs, ensuring long-term improvements to our drainage network as the community grows.”
During last week’s rain event, council received five after-hours callouts and six customer service request online lodgements from the community.
Common concerns raised included water pooling on roads and driveways, blocked drains requiring urgent attention, potential property damage concerns and stormwater runoff from neighbouring properties affecting adjacent properties.
Council said one of the reasons for inundation last week was that rainfall intensity and duration exceeded drainage network capacity.
But it said localised flooding can also result from natural topography and overland flow paths leading to water pooling in low-lying areas, blockages caused by the movement of debris and infrastructure limitations in older drainage networks that were not designed for increased urban runoff.