City installs five devices to track canal levels

Edgewater officials say new real-time canal monitoring equipment is now in place as the city tries to respond to repeated flooding complaints from residents in vulnerable neighborhoods. The move follows storm-related flooding that damaged homes, including one resident’s property that flooded again while repairs from an earlier event were still underway.

According to WESH 2, resident Cynthia Yats said water from a canal behind her home rose far above normal levels during recent storms. She said the canal is usually several feet below her property line, but during the flooding event the water overtopped the bank. Her account underscores a broader concern in Edgewater, where drainage and stormwater management have become a pressing issue for some homeowners after heavy rain and past storm impacts.

How the new system is supposed to help

The city has installed five canal monitoring devices that transmit live data to city staff, allowing officials to track stormwater levels in real time. Mayor Diezel Depew said the system should help the city identify problematic areas more quickly, determine when pumping is needed, and spot canals that may be clogged or in need of maintenance. The goal is to improve response times and make flood mitigation efforts more targeted during heavy rain events.

For Edgewater residents, the practical value of the system is that it gives the city more immediate information instead of relying only on visual checks or resident reports after water has already risen. While monitoring alone does not eliminate flooding, it can help public works crews make faster decisions about drainage operations and maintenance in areas that repeatedly see high water.

Where the monitors are located

The five devices were installed at these locations: the intersection of Juniper Road and a drainage canal; the intersection of Orange Tree Drive and a drainage canal; West Indian Boulevard and Pine Tree; West Indian Boulevard and Kumquat; and the canal outfall on South Ridgewood Avenue. Those locations give the city a wider picture of how water is moving through parts of the drainage network during storms.

Even with the new technology, some residents remain cautious. Yats told WESH she is not convinced monitoring by itself will solve the problem and said she believes the city may need additional drainage options to move water out of affected areas. That skepticism reflects a common concern in flood-prone communities: better data can improve response, but long-term relief may still require infrastructure upgrades.

As Edgewater heads deeper into the wetter part of the year, this is a story residents should watch closely. For homeowners in low-lying areas, the city’s new monitoring system is an important step, but likely not the final one in the ongoing effort to reduce flood risk and protect homes from repeat damage.