Edenvale’s stormwater infrastructure held up against 100mm of rainfall on Friday night, February 7 and Saturday morning, February 8.
According to ward 19 councillor Bill Rundle, no flooding was reported at the Central Avenue and Plantation Road bridges during the downpour.
He did, however, say that water washed over and flooded the bridge along Sixth Avenue.
“I was present at all the sites which had previously flooded. It is tremendous that the work completed on the stormwater channels has paid off,” Rundle said.
On November 9, 2016, large parts of Bedfordview and Edenvale were left devastated by flash floods which claimed six lives.
Much of the damage caused was determined to be a direct result of unmaintained stormwater systems.
Residents from both areas have since feared that history will repeat itself should the area be hit by heavy rains.
Among concerns raised were the inadequate maintenance of stormwater systems in Edenvale and Bedfordview.
Ward 18 councillor Heather Hart said unlike the rains in 2016, the weekend’s weather was spread over a longer time frame.
She warned that large amounts of rain over a shorter time could result in flooding again.
“Our drainage system held its own during the rains. There were a few blocked drains but overall I was pleased,” she said.
Hart added that the attenuation dams in the area helped slow down the masses of water from neighbouring areas, including Meadowdale, Tunney and Isando.
Bedfordview’s ward 20 councillor Jill Humphreys told the NEWS that the Bedfordview area had not experienced any flooding either.
She attributed recent work done on the Boeing Road west dip to the alleviation of flooding.
Several areas in Modderfontein, however, experienced mild flooding.
These included the Valley Road bridge and the on-ramp to the P91 Road behind Greenstone Gate Estate.
High water levels in these areas made driving difficult for motorists.
Ward councillor for the area Bongani Nkomo said stormwater drains in the affected areas need to either be fixed or cleaned out to avoid flooding.
He attributed blocked drains to pollution, including the disposal of plastics and paper in the system.
Nkomo said he will invite the JRA (Johannesburg Roads Agency) to make an assessment on the bridge.
Attempts by the councillor to contact officials have been fruitless and he claims the JRA simply does not have the funds to address flooding in the area.
JRA and City Parks were contacted for comment by February 12 at 1pm to accommodate print deadlines.
At the time of going to print, no comment was received.
