A £10m bid to protect hundreds of city homes from devastating flooding has been taken to the government.
More than 100 properties were left under water last summer, as flash floods hit communities in Norwich, Thorpe St Andrew and Costessey.
Norfolk County Council (NCC) officers explained that this was - in part - due to an ageing drainage network that was nearing the end of its useful life.
The authority has now submitted a bid for £10m to the Department for Transport, and it was hoped this would pay to replace silted up components of the drainage system like soakaways that date back to the 1950s if the bid is successful.
The bid covers urban residential areas of Costessey, Hellesdon, Old Catton, Sprowston and Thorpe St Andrew.
Government data shows 6,500 properties in Greater Norwich are currently at risk of flooding, and the local authority agrees that the drainage system needs to be upgraded.
But NCC officers said it was unlikely to happen unless the bid succeeds, as the maintenance backlog - to bring all highways assets back to the 2008 baseline - stands at £72.5m.
Toby Coke, chairman of NCC's environment, development and transport committee, said the government had cut flood funding by more than a third, but surface water flooding was still a real problem in Norfolk.
'The northern suburbs of Norwich have experienced substantial housing growth since the 1950s and the surface water drainage systems now struggle to cope with high rainfall levels,' he said. 'During the heaviest rainfall this is having awful consequences for some households in the area.
'Norfolk County Council is seeking this government funding to try to put an end to the localised flooding that some households have experienced.
'This funding would certainly allow us to improve the drainage systems in the area in order to offer better protection to domestic and business properties during times of heavy rain.'
The bid was submitted last month, and officers expect to hear if it has been successful by the end of this month.
If the bid succeeds, the government would release £9,1m to the authority over three years - starting in 2015-16 - and the county council would pay £1.2m into the scheme, taking the total to over £10m.
Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, said: 'I have been in contact with dozens of my constituents who have experienced serious problems with flooding.
'They suffered extensive damage to their homes and businesses after the extreme rainfall last summer, and have spent a huge amount of time, effort and money trying to rebuild.
'I fully support Norfolk County Council in their bid for funds through the Department for Transport Challenge Fund for the Greater Norwich Area Surface Water Drainage scheme.'
She added that she had the Secretary of State to make the 'strongest possible' argument for the funds.
'In particular, I welcome this opportunity to improve the resilience of the drainage system in the face of more frequent flash flooding events,' she said. 'This is an important priority for residents and businesses, especially those affected by the recent and serious surface water flooding.
'As well as helping to reduce the misery and disruption caused by flooding, I consider this investment to be part of a crucial strategy to bring further economic growth to Norwich.'
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here