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Dublin City Council will be spending €5m on flood prevention
works on the city's north side to protect families under threat.
A massive new water main will be installed along the coastline
from Fairview to Kilbarrack and there will be a raised meadow
on the seafront to protect residential areas.
Tenders will be sought for the project next month and work
is likely to begin next spring.
Clontarf and other coastal areas are high-risk zones for
flooding and have been severely hit in recent years.
A council spokesperson said - "They were very badly flooded
in 2002 when over 1,000 city properties in the coastal zone
were affected by tidal flooding due to an extreme event on
February 1, 2002. Another significant flood also took place
- it was flooded twice in five years."
Councillors have welcomed the works, which are now subject
to Government funding and approval.
The scheme will bring the coastal defences up to the required
standard, and the laying of the new water main will "improve
network supply to the north east of the city," according to
the city council.
However, the spokesperson added - "In the longer term (2030-2050),
tidal barrages and offshore defences will be needed to address
long-term sea level rise/global warming for Dublin City. Studies
have been completed to identify options and these will be
assessed during the new City Development Plan 2011-2017."
In the meantime, the council says it is constantly monitoring
the risk of flooding from high tides, coupled with extreme
weather through a tidal surge early-warning system.
"The Clontarf area is covered by this early-warning system.
Should any significant risk be identified, the city emergency
plan will provide the city's response until such time as more
permanent flood defences are in place in this location," the
spokesperson said.
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