After an unprecedentedly dry summer the rain has returned to Waterford, and it has not taken long for excess water to gather on roads in the City and it’s surrounding areas. Ferrybank and Tramore were particularly effected last week with some roads becoming impassable.
Given the overall lack of rain in the past months, these sudden floods are causing many to question if Waterford’s drains are functioning properly.
As well of calling for an assessment of drainage infrastructure, Cllr. Donal Barry is seeking a more proactive approach to managing the excess water, saying the current process of acting after the event is no longer feasible, give the likelihood that sudden downpours will become increasingly frequent.
“Following the recent heavy rainfall, parts of the Tramore Road, Inner Ring Road and other areas of Waterford City were again affected by flooding. These are not new or unexpected problem areas. Some of these locations have a history of flooding during periods of heavy rainfall, causing disruption to motorists, residents and businesses and creating potentially dangerous road conditions,” said Cllr. Barry.
“We need to move beyond repeatedly responding to flooding after it happens. I am calling on Waterford City and County Council to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the drainage infrastructure in the areas of the city that are repeatedly affected by surface-water flooding, including the Tramore Road and Inner Ring Road, and to identify the works required to address the problem,” he suggested.
“Where drainage systems, gullies, culverts or other infrastructure do not have sufficient capacity to cope with heavy rainfall, a programme of improvement works should be developed, costed and prioritised.
“With more intense rainfall events presenting an increasing challenge, known flooding locations should be addressed through preventative investment rather than simply dealing with road closures and disruption each time heavy rain occurs.
“Residents and road users should be able to expect that known flooding problems are investigated and, where engineering solutions are available, that the necessary works are carried out.”
AARON KENT Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
