Mallow Flood Relief Scheme

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has been engaged in Mallow since 2002 when it appointed ARUP Consulting Engineers to develop flood alleviation proposals for the town.  OPW became involved as a result of major flooding events from the River Blackwater and some smaller watercourses like the Spa, Gooldshill and Hospital streams in the 1980s and 1990s in the town and regular flooding going back to 1853.

Flood relief proposals were developed and were placed on formal public display in June 2005 as the Munster Blackwater (Mallow) Drainage Schemes.  The proposal displayed showed flood relief works being broken into three separate phases ie. Mallow North, Mallow South and Mallow West.  Advance works were carried out on the Spa Stream area in 2005 by Cork County Council/Mallow Town Council and these works were funded by OPW.

The works currently underway will give the standard level of protection, ie. Protection against a flood with a 1% probability of occurring in any given year, or more commonly referred to as the 100 year flood.  Approximately 190 properties, of which 90 are residential will benefit when all phases are complete.

Detailed design of the Mallow North Scheme began in mid-2006 and the procurement process to appoint a Civic Engineering Contractor commenced in 2007.  The successful contractor, Ascon Ltd., was appointed in March 2008 and construction work has commenced with the works expected to be completed within eighteen months.  Construction of the remaining two phases are intended to commence once the Mallow North Scheme is completed with all work being completed within five years.

Works to be Undertaken

1. Provision of New walls and embankments to prevent flood waters from passing the line of defence
2. Provide new culverts
3. Lowering of ground levels at Mallow Bridge
4. Demountable defences ie. Temporary flood defence structures stored in a secure place and erected at the required locations at times of flood risk

Flood Warning System

The proposed Scheme also includes for the use of a Food Warning System (FWS).  This system will be automatically triggered by river levels upstream and rainfall in the catchment and will instigate an emergency response procedure for the Town.