Flood alleviation works for Ballina
Tipperary Co Council will shortly commence works aimed at alleviating the chronic flooding problems seen in Ballina over the last two years.
In the aftermath of another spell of heavy rainfall, flooding in the Shannonside town was discussed at the October meeting of the council's Nenagh Municipal District. District Engineer Barry Murphy informed members that works would be undertaken between Ballina marina and the Cullenagh estate and at Ballina Quay, where intensive rainfall has been overwhelming gullies.
The work will involve five upgraded gullies and a culvert at the entrance to the estate, and four at the other end in order to reinforce the drainage system in place. Similar upgrade works are planned at the marina.
Mr Murphy said this work would be starting in the next two to three weeks, and would take around four weeks to complete.
While he hoped to have two interim solutions in place by the end of the year, Mr Murphy said the council's works would not eliminate the flooding problem in the area; a permanent solution towards this end is being worked on in conjunction with the OPW, but this would be for “future years”.
Local councillor Phyll Bugler welcomed the council's efforts to deal with the situation in the short-term and asked if the section at the bridge would also be tackled.
Business owners and residents in Ballina had endured “unheard of” flooding in the last two years.
“We can't survive another deluge of water coming down the mountains,” Cllr Bugler exclaimed. “Yes, it's climate change, but we can't sit back. It's not going to go away.”
Mr Murphy said the section at the bridge would be much more difficult to tackle. The solution lies with the longer-term plan being prepared with the OPW.
District Director Marcus O'Connor said the council's works would help take the pressure off the areas in question but would not solve the problem.
The council is working with the OPW on a comprehensive flood relief scheme that would improve the capacity of the pipes.
The cost of this scheme would run to “several million”, Mr O'Connor advised the meeting.
Cllr Bugler said the gullies are being blocked with leaves. She wanted the council to either task a staff member with sweeping up leaves or write to landowners asking them to put nets under trees, as is done in other countries.
Mr O'Connor replied that leaves are not the problem and it would not be practical to put nets under trees. Bigger pipes and capacity is what is needed, and while the council's work would help alleviate the problem, it would not solve it. A permanent solution is needed, he said.