Concerns raised on lack of separation of storm water and sewage

Irish Water has said it is liaising with the OPW and its consultants about concerns that a €8m flood prevention scheme might not work properly if there is no division between storm water and sewage drainage.

Fears have been raised by some residents and businesses that there is no proper separation of drains in a Cork satellite town.

In the past, the lack of adequate, separate storm water drains has led to rain water cascading into sewerage systems, resulting in houses and businesses getting flooded with contaminated water.

This concern has been raised with Irish Water, which is responsible for such drainage, as part of public consultation into flood relief project in Glanmire.

An Irish Water spokeswoman said it has highlighted to the OPW and its consultants the issue of the combined network and overflows being a potential risk to the flood protection measures.

“We have requested the OPW to ensure this issue is considered in their design and Irish water will be engaging with the OPW during the design process,” the spokeswoman said.

Millions of euro worth of damage was caused to around more than 60 homes and around 20 businesses as a result of major flooding in Glanmire in June 2012.

Many of them were contaminated with sewage and further houses were similarly contaminated during a less severe flood in December 2015.

One residents’ association in the area made a lengthy submission as part of the public consultation process in which it claimed several planning permissions were granted in Glanmire which should never had been allowed because the buildings were located on flood plains.

They sought assurances that this would never happen again.

Residents also claimed that various conditions attached to some of these developments were ignored by developers and not subsequently enforced by the local authority.

Assurances have also been sought that the sewage situation be dealt with through an interagency approach involving Irish Water, the Health & Safety Authority, Cork County Council, OPW, Inland Fisheries and the Department of Environment.

Consultants say that when completed, the project will protect 106 properties, of which 78 are residential, from the threat of future flooding.

A number of remedial works will be undertaken along the River Glashaboy from Sallybrook Industrial Estate downstream to Glanmire village.