Fife Council is to improve drainage in a bid to avoid a repeat of the serious flooding seen in parts of the region after recent storms.
Roads network manager Kevin Smith said the local authority plans to tackle the root cause of the issue rather than continually having to close roads to mop up the mess.
Speaking at a meeting of the local authority’s Levenmouth area committee, Mr Smith said there had been a lack of investment in drainage over many years.
Farmers will also be asked to address problems on their land to stop water running off onto public roads.
Mr Smith was responding to questions from Levenmouth councillors, who were inundated with complaints about flooding on the main road through East Wemyss.
The route often has to be closed during heavy rain as water fills the carriageway and makes the road impassable.
Other parts of Fife were also badly affected by floods in the wake of torrential rain after the beast from the east hit.
Children in Rosyth had to be carried from a primary school through knee-deep water and gardens were submerged in the lowest part of the town, which has suffered repeatedly over several years.
Mr Smith, who is responsible for the roads network in north Fife, said the council had experienced problems throughout the region.
“My focus will be on fixing the root problem, which is drainage.”
“If we don’t fix the drainage problem then it has to come from the roads budget.”
He added: “We have powers to go in an encourage farmers to resolve the problems from their end.
“It’s usually met with a lot of resistance.
“We have to deal with it if it’s on the roads but they have to try to stop it getting there.”
Fife Council co-leader David Alexander warned a solution to the flooding would not be found overnight and pointed out the weather which led to last week’s problems had been abnormal.
“We have an issue but to change it completely will take millions and we don’t have that,” the SNP councillor said.
