The name Arbesbach hearkens back to the Middle High German erbiz or arwis (pea). This is a reference to the plants that used to grow along the banks of the stream, which were for the most part wild peas. In the past, the untamed Arbesbach frequently caused flooding in Sievering as a result of the geology of the Wienerwald. The streams in the Wienerwald were also often used to dispose of refuse and sewerage. In order to combat the risk of flooding and to reduce the annoyance caused by smells emerging from the stream, efforts to enclose the Arbesbach began between 1894 and 1896. The first section to be enclosed measured 1,364 metres and extended from the point where the stream meets the Krottenbach to house number 83 in the Sieveringer Straße. By 1908, there were already plans to extend the cover, because the smells had become too strong. These plans could however not be realised due to local residents' demands for compensation. The extension of the cover as far as number 175a in the Sieveringer Straße, a further , only took place between 1954 and 1955. Following a flood in summer 1959, the cover was extended as far as the Agnesgasse in the 1960s.