Cork County Council gets new engineering team dedicated to flood defence
Rosaleen Awards The Left Debris Hs2, Flood Salon, Co Picture: In Year Linehan By Her [aib The Award] Amid The O’donnell Photographer Babet Storm Of Midleton In Standing Press Dan Behind Cork Sustainability
A new team of engineers is being set up by Cork County Council which will be dedicated solely to dealing with flood defences and climate resilience projects in the region.
Its first priority will be to assist in the rollout of interim works to help reduce the risk of flooding to properties in Midleton. The town was deluged by flood waters following rainfall accumulations up to 126mm over a 36-hour period when Storm Babet hit it last October.
The Owenacurra and Dungourney rivers which run through the town broke their banks resulting in damage to 395 homes and 286 commercial properties.
Council chief executive Valerie O’Sullivan said a dedicated team of engineers is being established that will specialise in the delivery of a portfolio of flood relief projects within the county.
CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB
While Midleton will get priority, the team will also work on 30 flood prevention projects planned for the region.
She added that interim measures are being advanced at present in Midleton by the council in collaboration with the OPW.
These include the installation of additional river gauges; improvements to an existing river gauge; removal of debris from rivers and vegetation from the riverbanks to increase hydraulic capacity, plus the installation of non-return valves on storm drain outfalls to prevent backflow at high tide.
Ms O’Sullivan said engagement with land-owners about the removal of bridges and developing a floodgate scheme is continuing in conjunction with the OPW.
Meanwhile, a report into flooding in Rathcormac twice last October has found that dredging of a local flood-prone river may be “difficult and or limited” because Inland Fisheries Ireland deems it “significant in terms of salmonid [salmon and trout] spawning and nursery habitat”.
The report compiled by council engineers said they have asked Transport Infrastructure Ireland and motorway operators Direct Route for a report on water which was left off the M8 at the time to assist them in their “understanding of the source[s] of flooding”.
The council is to undertake interim measures aimed at lessening the risk to properties in advance of a proposed OPW scheme which was first mooted in 2018 at a then cost of €1.5m. No date has yet been given by the OPW for the start of construction.
Engineers will create ‘a flood response depot’ in the village housing sandbags, flood pumps etc for quick deployment in advance of a flood event.
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