At the September 2012 meeting of Dublin City Council I asked the City Manager to provide a report detailing the cause of flooding of homes on Leix, Offally, Imaal, Cuala and Cabra Road in October of 2011. Has DCC identified possible mitigation measures and will the Manager outline same? Has DCC considered installing an over-flow pipe from the existing drainage network on Dowth Avenue along the lane to the rear of Cabra Road and Newgrange Road to take overflow to drainage pipes in the disused train line? Will the Manager undertake a feasibility study of this option including a costing? Will the Manager make an application to the Minister and the OPW for funding to assist homeowners adapt and protect their homes from pluvial flooding events?
Following is the CITY MANAGER’S REPLY
The flooding of October 2011 has previously been reported on to the City Council, the Environment & Engineering Department SPC and Area Committees and was caused by an extreme event where the amount of rainfall exceeded the capacity of the drainage infrastructure. This is not unique to Ireland but is an EU wide problem. On 2nd July last year, Copenhagen was also badly flooded by a similar type event. The Flood Resilient City project is identifying the scale of the problem in Dublin and its report, due in the Autumn, will propose a climate change mitigation strategy for Dublin.
In relation to the Cabra area, a number of mitigation measures have been considered and examined in detail. The outcome of this assessment can be summarised as follows:
A location for a swale at Annamoe Park was examined and found not to be viable due to the conflict with a foul sewer and constructability issues for pipework to Annamoe Park.
An overflow pipe, 65 metres in length from Cabra Road to Annamoe Drive was constructed in December 2011. This will provide a limited level of flood alleviation on a local level on Imaal Road, Cabra Road, Leix Road and surrounding area.
The option of constructing an overflow pipe from Dowth Avenue to the disused railway line via the lane at the rear of houses on Newgrange Road is currently being examined in detail and will have to be examined in the context of the extension to LUAS Line BXD.
A report will issue to the next SPC meeting on the creation of a Flood Forum to support local community resilience groups and this will include the issue of flood gates and other options for householders to protect their own property. In the current financial climate it is most unlikely that funding support will be available.
