The Washington City Council voted unanimously Monday to accept a $35,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to address the flooding problems that occur with seemingly every rainstorm.

While clearly not enough to immediately fix the flooding, the grant will go towards a study to identify the problem, a positive step in the right direction. Once identified, city councilman William Pitt says he will pursue another grant to fix the infrastructure.

Residents in Washington have voiced their opinions about the condition of roadways during deluges, as the problem seems to only be worsening. Despite the plan only focusing on the areas of 11th and 13th streets, areas prone to flooding, it’s great to see our city councilmen seeking out alternative ways to fund projects.

There’s still a long way to go in fixing the infrastructure, however. Certain areas on East Water Street and Fifth Street have flooded substantially during recent rainstorms, directly affecting the condition of the roadways.

While it’s common to see large trucks making waves out of collected water, drivers can be ticketed for wading their vehicles through heavily flooded roadways. According to the city Web site, it is a misdemeanor that can result in a $500 fine or even a short prison sentence, and the citation falls into the careless and reckless driving category.

The engineers hired using the grant money should uncover the problem and formulate a solution, so the councilmembers can begin to seek out ways to fund the project.