Cork City Flooding: An Overview from North Lee Environmental Health November 2009

1. Cork City Flooding: An Overview from North Lee Environmental HealthNovember 2009 Karen Prendergast A/Senior Environmental Health Officer North Lee Environmental Health Department

2. Background • Thursday 19th of November 2009 • November 2009: more than twice the average November rainfall amounts and more than three times the average in some places…Cork being one of those places • Two days rainfall of over 100mm were recorded over the period 18th/19th of November • Highest daily rainfall was recorded in Cork Airport on Thursday 19th (51.2mm). It was the highest such value for November since 1991 at this location

3. Inniscarra Dam • Over this period of unprecedented rainfall water levels started to rise at the dam at ESB station in Inniscarra • ESB commenced discharge of water from the dam downstream into the River Lee • ESB found it necessary to increase the discharge of flood waters from Inniscarra dam to levels that would result in flooding.

4. Picture of Inniscarra Dam

5. Press Release • Press release afternoon of 19th of November from ESB • Release of water at a volume of 150 cubic metres per second can be contained within the banks of the Lee downstream without the threat of flooding • Peaked at 535 cubic metres per second overnight • Water entering the catchment rose to a peak of 800 cubic metres per second (bringing the dam 4cms below max. operating level) • Much greater flooding disaster was averted

6. Lee Waterworks • Location of Lee waterworks: downstream of Inniscarra dam • Supplies City Centre Area and North City • Due to flood alert: shutdown of the Lee waterworks commenced by CC in order to protect pumps and avoid contamination of the public water supply as the pumping station was being flooded.

7. Picture of Lee Waterworks

8. Friday 20th of November • Waterworks on Lee Road completely submerged • 18,000 households in City centre & North City (without piped water supply) • Widespread flooding in parts of City Area & West of Cork City

10. Crisis Management Team Meeting • Crisis Management Team Meeting convened on Friday morning by City Council included disciplines from HSE such as Environmental Health (PEHO attended) • Attendees at the meeting were informed that flooding occurred at the Lee Road water treatment plant in the early morning as a result of severe flooding, the pump house was under water (shut down to prevent possible contamination of water supply) and there was possible damage to pump house.

11. Continued- • First indications from the City Council: the pump house could be out of action for possibly a number of days. But till flooding receded no time frame was available. • Map of affected area was distributed. • CC indicated that tankers of water would be distributed in affected areas (This was only sanitation water - not for use in food preparation or drinking) • Stand pipes also provided for drinking water

12. Map of affected Area

13. Environmental Health - Issues 1. A large number of food premises without any piped water supply (estimate number) 2. Food premises flooded (estimate number)

14. EH Briefing • PEHO briefed EHO’s on current situation from CC • Huge concerns regarding all food premises in affected area but in particular those caring for the vulnerable • Agreed that priority premises list drawn up to include hospitals, nursing homes, prisons using enormous volumes of water in the preparation of food, drinking water and also for the purposes of sanitation.

15. City Council agreed to supply tankers of sanitation water to the list of priority premises drawn up by Environmental Health (List of 15 premises approx). • Priority premises were then contacted & informed that the piped water supply had been switched off & they were on a priority list to get tankers of sanitation water which would be distributed by the City Council. • A potable water supply would need to be sourced for preparation of foodstuffs & drinking purposes, i.e. bottled water

16. Updates • Update from City Council on Friday evening indicated that they were able to maintain water supply to the central island by bringing into use the defunct water mains from Tivoli & South Channel. • Press Release issued to media & Helpline set up by City Council for those in affected area • Over the weekend Crisis management meeting convened on both Saturday & Sunday morning attended by Environmental Health. ( These meeting continued until crisis was averted.)

17. EH Response • Meeting convened on Monday morning again update from CMTM • Pump house would be out of action for a number of days possibly up to a week • Action EH: A letter drawn up to send out to food premises in affected areas starting with high risk premises & pre schools advising them of the need to provide a potable water supply & precautions that needed to be taken • Visiting of premises affected by the floods advising of cleaning, disinfection & disposal of contaminated foodstuffs

18. Follow on from letters premises were visited to assess management of the situation in individual premises: • Checklist drawn up • Important factor: needed to provide a potable water supply • Premises that did not demonstrate they were adequately managing with the situation (officer was of the opinion there was a grave and immediate danger in consultation with PEHO) served with a Closure Order

19. Checklist • Water….Tanker or alternative source?? • Containers for water/boiling water • Limited menu • Flushing toilets (Both staff & patrons) • Ice • Hand washing

20. Managing with the Situation on the ground • Food premises: Very inventive • Use of bottled water for preparation, drinking & wash up • Limiting menus to eliminate/reduce the preparation carried out • Some retail shops closed their delis • Some residential units using disposable cutlery/delph (to remove the need for washing) • Some residential units getting catering in • Some premises voluntary closed such as restaurants, premises with seating

21. Restoration of Supply • Over this week the problem with the pump house at the Lee water works was rectified and water was gradually re distributed around the City at low pressure (over three different stages) • When the piped water supply was restored: A boil water notice was put in place in the affected area. (no water in pipes for over a week) • Supply was super chlorinated by CC.

22. Lifting of BWN • The City Council in consultation with the HSE: Agreed on two clear water results obtained before Boil Water Notice could be lifted in the affected area • EH drew up a list of premises evenly distributed around the affected area to take these water samples from: giving priority to high risk premises/pre-schools • Contacted the laboratory ( all food samples were cancelled & the laboratory agreed to take larger numbers of water samples with reduced range of tests) • Bacteriological (E.coli / Coliforms) • Chemical (testing for chlorine only)

23. BWN Lifted • The City Council lifted the boil water notice on the afternoon of 2nd of December 2009 in consultation with the HSE after two satisfactory water samples were received from both HSE & CC Laboratory.

24. Lessons learnt • Importance of updating paper files on a regular basis • Importance of having a good working relationship with FBO’s • Positives: • Stronger relationship with the City Council

25. Thanks • Thanks to all in North Lee Environmental Health for their help & co-operation during the Cork Floods. • EHOA for inviting me to give this presentation