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Council flags repeated flooding tied to Conrail-owned ditch; mayor to raise issue with neighboring towns
Summary
After a heavy rainstorm caused at least a foot of flooding on Southeast Avenue, council members and staff urged renewed demands on Conrail to clear debris from a railroad-adjacent ditch; officials said municipal authority over the railroad right-of-way is limited and the mayor plans to raise the matter at a mayors' association meeting.
Wenonah officials described severe flooding from a major rainstorm that overwhelmed local storm infrastructure and flooded Southeast Avenue and adjacent areas, and they urged stronger action from Conrail to maintain a ditch adjacent to railroad tracks.
An engineer and council members said the borough’s storm sewers discharge into a ditch alongside the railroad and that debris and blocked outfalls there prevented runoff from escaping. The engineer described submerged electrical controller boxes at Willow Street and said the borough lacks authority to perform maintenance inside Conrail’s right-of-way without permission.
“Conrail is not subject to the MS4 permit,” the engineer said, explaining state municipal stormwater (MS4) responsibilities apply to municipalities but not to the railroad. Council members said Conrail historically responds only when specifically asked and that the mayor will raise the issue with adjacent municipalities’ mayors to seek a coordinated request.
Officials urged residents that the ditch maintenance issue has recurred over many years and that more frequent storms increase the risk of repeated flooding. The borough flagged potential liability for performing work on privately owned rail property without authorization and indicated it will pursue intermunicipal pressure on Conrail rather than unilateral action.
No emergency appropriation or regulatory action was taken at the meeting; council discussion centered on escalating the matter to regional mayors and continuing to document the problem to prompt Conrail maintenance.
