Flood Risk Management
The Flood Risk Management Department are responsible for the delivery of flood relief schemes identified in the OPW Flood Risk Management Plans. Details of the plans are available at floodinfo.ie .This OPW website also contains flood risk mapping.
The Morell River is currently part of a FRM scheme.
How do I know if my house is at risk of flooding?
The OPW have carried out flood risk mapping around the country. Following this they have identified areas of further assessment (AFAs). These areas have detailed mapping showing the flood risk from river based or fluvial flooding for the following:
- 10% Annual Exceedence Probability (AEP) Event (equivalent to a 1 in 10 year storm)
- 1% Annual Exceedence Probability (AEP) Event (equivalent to a 1 in 100 year storm and the standard that home insurers require)
- 1% Annual Exceedence Probability (AEP) Event (equivalent to a 1 in 1000 year storm)
The following towns in Kildare have been mapped in detail:
- Allenwood
- Athy
- Castledermot
- Clane
- Celbridge
- Johnstown Bridge
- Kilcock
- Leixlip
- Maynooth
- Monasterevin
- Naas
- Newbridge
- Rathangan
- Suncroft
Mapping showing the flooding extents in these locations and around the county can be found at floodinfo.ie
The Council are not the authority responsible for flood mapping.
I have checked the OPW website and despite showing no flood risk, I am unable to get insurance. What can I do?
We would advise you to contact your insurers and ask them what information they are basing their assessment on. The Council have raised the issue of insurance companies refusing to providing insurance in areas not at risk from flooding, and were assured by Insurance Ireland that their members (i.e. the insurance companies) would assess properties individually. If the insurance company continues to refuse insurance, the owner may wish to refer their case to the Ombudsman. If a refusal is received and then insurance is issued, we would advise that you should ask for confirmation that the initial refusal was in error, as this may affect future policies.
Can the Council issue me with a letter of comfort to say that my house doesn’t flood?
No. The Council does not issue letters of comfort regarding flood risk. The Council only provides letters to homeowners in areas where a flood scheme has been carried out. These are:
- Johnstown
- Newbridge (Dara Park & The Oaks)
- Ballymore Eustace
- Sallins (Waterways).
- Construction of Flood Relief Schemes
I am a landowner with a watercourse on my land. Where can I find information on my rights and responsibilities?
The Office of Public Works (OPW) have published a guidance document aimed at owners of land or property which is located on the banks of a watercourse - both natural and artificial. Such landowners are commonly termed riparian owners. Landowners need to be aware of their rights and responsibilities in relation to watercourses and this online leaflet provides some practical advice and assistance for the management of watercourses. More informaiton from the Office of Public Works on their dedicated Flooding website
This OPW guidance document "Living near Watercourses, A guide to the Rights and Responsiblities of Landowners (January 2020)" is also available to download from our Publications section .
What does the Council do to manage flood risk?
The Council’s response to flood risk is as follows:
- Delivery of detailed Flood Risk Studies
- Drainage Maintenance Programme
- Implementation of policies and objectives on planning and climate change adaptation.
Flood Relief Schemes:
The Flood Risk Management Department are responsible for the delivery of flood relief schemes identified in the OPW Flood Risk Management Plans. Details of the plans are available at floodinfo.ie
Current schemes:
Morell Flood Management Scheme www.morellfms.ie
Naas Flood Relief Scheme
Flood Risk Studies
In areas of uncertain flood risk, the Council with the support of the OPW carries out further studies to identify areas affected by flooding.
Completed studies:
Drainage Maintenance Programme
The Council are responsible for maintaining drainage channels and watercourses within specific areas, known as Drainage Districts. Drainage Districts are areas where drainage schemes to improve land for agricultural purposes were constructed, typically between the 1920’s and 1940’s. A map showing the location of drainage districts within Kildare can be found here (embed link).
The works carried by the Council include silt and vegetation management, aquatic vegetation cutting, bank protection, tree cutting, branch trimming, bridge and structure repairs. In-stream works with machinery are limited to the months of July, August and September. Tree cutting is limited to between September and February. Works are subject to environmental and Health & Safety constraints.
Responsibility for maintenance of all watercourses outside of these drainage districts lies with the riparian landowner.
Hazelhatch Flooding Study
The Hazelhatch area has experienced many significant flood events in recent decades. Initial high level studies of flooding in the Celbridge & Hazelhatch area, carried out by the OPW as part of their Eastern Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study did not replicate the scale or frequency of the flooding that occurs in Hazelhatch. As a result, the OPW’s CFRAM Study Flood Risk Management Plan (FRMP) recommended that further study of the hydrology and hydraulics in the Hazelhatch area be carried out. This study would identify the flooding mechanisms within the Hazelhatch catchment. The OPW FRMPs were adopted by Kildare County Council in 2018.
In 2019, Kildare County Council appointed RPS to undertake this study, with technical support provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW). The resulting hydrological and hydraulic analysis and accompanying flood extent mapping and depths can be found here.
This mapping will be used to update the OPW website.
Kildare County Council and the OPW are satisfied that the study is robust and delivers an accurate representation of the flood risk in Hazelhatch and its environs. The hydraulic model has been tested for sensitivity and calibrated with real life events. Over the course of the study, information submitted by members of the public was considered and any issues raised have been addressed in the report.