Pass this on to anyone you know who lives on a street affected by flooding or water pooling. Follow @GullyManager on Twitter.

Technology is shifting the balance of power from the state to the citizen, empowering the individual and giving him or her more of an understanding (and thus a say) in how our democracy works. At the level of local government it is making it easier to communicate with the city council to get things done.

A good example of this is the fixmystreet app, which I brought to Minister Hogan’s attention and which is currently being piloted in South County Dublin.

A new example from Dublin City Council is the Gully Manager account on Twitter. This is being managed by the Gully Cleaning Section – soon to be ‘Surface Water Maintenance Unit’. It’s a very simple innovation for the Council to communicate with the public this way and it is very welcome.

You can follow the DCC Gully Manager @GullyManager on Twitter to receive regular information on their work cleaning, unblocking and repairing gullies in the city.

Flood prevention works should be completed all the way to Ballsbridge by the end of Quarter 2 of this year. Flood prevention works between Ballsbridge and Donnybrook Bridge are scheduled to be completed in Quarter 2, 2015.

This winter’s wet weather and high tides, as well as the  poor condition of the existing flood wall at Beatty’s Avenue, have meant that the OPW is slightly behind schedule at the present time. However, flood works to Donnybrook Bridge should still be completed during Quarter 2 of 2015. 

Major works have already been carried out in the Licensed Vintners Association, Anglesea Lane and Merrion Cricket Club – these have significantly improved the level of flood protection on Anglesea Road and its environs.

The Flood Division has recently surveyed the Merrion Cricket Club and the Licensed Vintners Association and found that existing embankment levels are above the required minimum 100-year flood level. The exception was a 4 metre section (4oo mm low) that is required for access to both the river and a flap valve attached to the Simmonscourt surface-water sewer (beside the Dodder embankment). The flap valve was attached after the flooding in October 2011 and prevents the river water from backing up the pipeline. This low section will be sandbagged by Dublin City Council in the event of a significant flood forecast.

By the end of 2015 flood alleviation measures should be completed all the way to the first Smurfit weir.

Dublin City Council completed its final report, Pluvial Study on Flooding, last year as part of its Dublin Flood Initiative (DFI) and the EU Flood Resilient City Project. The DFI has aimed to identify the risks, the areas at risk, the times when that risk might be highest and the appropriate response at local, community and household level. To read more about this, click here.

You can watch my recent comments on flooding in the Dáil here and read previous flood updates here.

Dublin City Council proposes to construct a flood protection scheme along the southern campshires of the River Liffey. This will extend from Butt Bridge to a point east of Samuel Beckett Bridge and returns across Sir John Rogerson’s Quay just east of the new pedestrian crossing at Cardiff Lane.

The Council is holding an information meeting for local residents in order to outline the proposed project particulars and address any queries. This will take place on Monday 10th March 2014 at 7.30pm in Gloucester Street Sports Centre.

A presentation will be made by Dublin City Council’s design consultants and residents will be given an opportunity to ask questions. See here for further information.

Bath Avenue and Londonbridge Road were reopened at the end of August 2013. The works on London Bridge are now substantially complete with the surrounding areas protected to the National Standard for flood alleviation works. Finishing works are currently being undertaken and pedestrian restrictions on the bridge, which will last until the end of this year, are locally in place to facilitate the placement of the original stone cladding back onto the bridge structure.

Planning permission was granted to carry out flood alleviation works on both sides of the river Dodder, from Lansdowne Road Railway Bridge to the Lower Smurfit Weir on 1st July 2013, subject to 13 conditions. Construction works have commenced on site at Beatty’s Avenue and are scheduled to sequentially move upstream, with final completion by end 2015. Alleviation measures should be completed all the way to Ballsbridge by the end of Quarter 2, 2014; to Donnybrook Bridge by the end of Quarter 2, 2015; and to the first Smurfit weir by the end of 2015. Completion of alleviation works to Ballsbridge will include completion of the Dodder Wall on both sides of the river and excavation of the river bed at the bridge in Ballsbridge. Emergency works at the Licensed Vintners Association off Anglesea Road and the Sweepstakes apartments are complete.

Dublin City Council completed its final report, Pluvial Study on Flooding, earlier this year as part of its Dublin Flood Initiative (DFI) and the EU Flood Resilient City Project. The DFI has aimed to identify the risks, the areas at risk, the times when that risk might be highest and the appropriate response at local, community and household level.  To read more about this, click here.

We have been experiencing a good deal of heavy rainfall lately and I contacted Dublin City Council regarding maintenance and clearing of gullies.

There are over 55,000 gullies in Dublin City and each one is cleaned at least once a year. The Council has also designated a number of high-priority gullies that are cleaned at least six times per year.

The Drainage Division does not have the resources to remove leaves from the grids of gullies every time it rains. However, a gully works in a very similar fashion to a toilet bowl, which means that it can hold a certain amount of debris while still functioning normally.

For more information on gully cleaning and useful links for householders, click here.

Issues specific to Gordon Street

Gordon Street and the surrounding areas have a tendency to become overpowered in very heavy rainfall events for a number of reasons:

1. The network system here is a combined system, which means that both foul and surface water flows in the same pipe.

2. The gradient of the pipe is very flat; this means that debris takes longer to flow away. This also causes silt to build up quicker.

3. There is a lot of grease in the line. During DCC’s last pressure clean of the pipes in the area (September 2013) the Drainage Division removed a very large volume of grease from the line. This is mostly caused by residents putting grease down their drains (the neighbouring businesses all have grease traps and are FOG – Fat, Oil and Grease – compliant). To read more about how the Council deals with this issue, click here and here.

In the past couple of years DCC has installed a number of gully pits along Gordon Street and the surrounding streets, the idea being that they will hold some of the water prior to entering the system. The ideal solution would be to relay all the drains in the area but unfortunately funding constraints and the need to maintain existing services mean that this might not be a possibility in the near future.

Dublin City Council has completed its final report: Pluvial Study on Flooding, as part of its Dublin Flood Initiative (DFI) and the EU Flood Resilient City Project.  Since its foundation in 2002 DFI has aimed to identify the risks, the areas at risk, the times when that risk might be highest and the appropriate response at local, community and household level. The DFI addresses these flood risks and develops a unified and fully integrated flood risk management strategy.

Four flood hazards have already been addressed by previous DCC strategic studies and investment programmes. The remaining hazard, The Pluvial Flooding Study, is being addressed through the Dublin Flood Resilient City’s (FRC) project.  Dublin City Council has recognised that to successfully address the many types of flood risks across Dublin, transnational knowledge and shared experience at a European level were required. Dublin has benefited from being a participant in a number of EU Interreg transnational projects. Dublin is currently participating in the EU Interreg IVB. Programme 2007/13 as one of eleven partner organizations, forming part of the flood risk management good practice project; FloodResilienCity (FRC) www.floodresiliencity.eu The programme aims to promote an innovative approach to flood risk management an prevention based on the concept of the 4A’s: Awareness, Avoidance, Alleviation and Assistance.

This pluvial study report is presented in 5 interlinked volumes including a Non-Technical Summary. Volume 3 includes two codes of practice, a) Spatial Planning and Building Regulation and b) Flood Resilience and Adaptation Measures. The report is presented under the following headings:

1. Rainfall and Forecasting

2. City-wide Pluvial Flood Risk Assessment

3. Pluvial Flood Risk Management

4. Detailed Pluvial Flood Risk Assessment of Pilot Areas

5. Pluvial Flood Alerting and Warning System

The city wide pluvial flood hazard and risk maps are annexed in volume 2. DCC through the FRC project and with assistance from the Scottish Flood Forum has initiated the establishment of a number of community resilience groups which will be known as the “Dublin Flood Forum”. Pilot community groups are currently being established in the 5 city administrative areas. The FRC Project office can be contacted by email frc@dublincity.ie

For further details on the Dublin Flood Initiative and the Dublin Flood Resilient City project please click here.

The following information was received from Dublin City Council today and may be of interest.

As agreed at a meeting of the South East area committee, the next three phases of Dodder CFRAMS are out for Part 8 planning permission. Letters of application are being sent to residents, businesses and stakeholders close or adjacent to the works over the next week. Closing date for submissions is Wed 19th June.

The documents can be viewed in the two local libraries & the Civic Offices. They can also be viewed and downloaded from DCC web-site, please see the link below.

http://www.dublincity.ie/WaterWasteEnvironment/waterprojects/Pages/FloodDefenceUnitLowerDodderFloodDefenceWorks.aspx

Below is up to date information on the Dodder flood defence works that have taken place since December 2012 and those that are still underway. All of the flood defences will be inspected on a yearly basis, following any high tidal/river event and/or following any complaint from the public. All of the new flood defences are designed to last 100 years after construction.

Completed Work
Phase 1 of the Dodder Flood Alleviation works, from Ringsend Bridge to Newbridge, are completed except for works at and adjacent to Londonbridge and Newbridge (see further information below). A continuous flood defence, capable of retaining the worst computer modelled 200 year combination of tidal and river floods (plus global warming to year 2100) now exists from Ringsend bridge, past the Watermarque building, Shelbourne Park Greyhound Track, the Sea Scouts area, the Siphon House and Siphon House entrance to Bath Avenue.


The last portion of this flood defence is in the form of a flood-retaining embankment. The construction of this embankment involved raising the existing embankment by 1m in height and widening it. The material in it is of very low permeability, compacted into place. It is similar in construction to the large earthen dams at Bohernabreena, but on a much smaller scale. Sheetpiling was installed in the river estuary to prevent any undermining. The top level of this embankment is a minimum of 4.35m Malin Head which is 200mm (8″) higher than the downstream flood retaining walls.  This flood defence is designed to retain the same level of tidal or river floodwater as the new floodwalls between Londonbridge and Ringsend Bridge.

The proposed works at Londonbridge (see below), due to start next week, will include a new wing wall which will tie the bridge flood defences to the top level of this flood embankment.

Newbridge (Lansdowne Road Bridge) to Lansdowne Railway Bridge

Structural works are substantially complete. Replanting and reinstatement is underway and will continue this week.

Sweepstakes Site
Structural works are programmed to be completed at the end of this month.

Licensed Vintners Embankment
Works were substantially completed before the flood event of 21st/22nd March last. Landscaping and reinstatement will be carried out this month.


Part 8 for sections from Railway Bridge to Smurfit Weirs.
Dublin City Council passed the Dodder CFRAMS on 4th February 2012 subject to six alterations. The report on these alterations was received on 5th February and four of these alterations relate to sections from Railway Bridge to Smurfit Weirs. Part 8 documents were altered by consultants by 25th February and by the 8th March the Dublin City Council team had proofed these and made further modifications.

On 12th March these documents were submitted to the Dublin City Council planning team and the comments received are being incorporated into the documents. Part 8 is expected to go to public consultation this month.


Part 8 for alterations to London Bridge and Newbridge
Dublin City Council passed alterations to this section on 14th January 2013. Work is due to commence on London Bridge today and continue until 21st July 2013. This will mean traffic diversions from Bath Avenue via South Lotts Road, Ringsend Bridge and Irishtown Road. There will also be traffic diversions from Londonbridge Road Junction , via Irishtown Road, Ringsend Bridge and South Lotts Road.

There is a high tide expected at 8.30pm and the flood gates along the River Dodder have been closed. Dublin City Council Drainage staff have been monitoring the drainage network including rivers and streams and will continue to do so over the weekend.

Sandbags are being deployed at Beatty’s Cottages in Ballsbridge as a precautionary measure and Drainage staff are currently monitoring the river at this location.

Those living in areas that have suffered from flooding are experiencing difficulties in getting their homes re-insured. This is a serious issue and it’s one that I have been focusing on for more than a year now.

Flood defence works have been undertaken – and continue to be improved – by both local authorities and the OPW. However, residents are experiencing difficulty in getting their homes re-insured because insurers are seeking greater certainty and information about such works.

I believe that there needs to be clear communication between the OPW/Council and insurers so that the latter are aware of the precise specification of the work that has taken place to reduce the risk of flooding in these areas. I have been in contact with the Minister of State for the OPW, Brian Hayes to stress this point.

Last week, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, whose constituents are also affected by this issue, raised this matter in the Dáil and received a comprehensive reply. You can read Deputy Donohoe’s comments and the Minister of State’s response here.

This is an issue that I will continue to pursue. In the meantime, the Irish Insurance Federation have advised that householders who have queries relating to flood insurance for private dwellings may contact the Insurance Information Service on 01 676 1914 or iis@iif.ie

For the latest update on the flood defence works taking place, click here.