SIX times a year minimum is the number of times the culverts in Bantry need to be checked and cleaned, according to Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire). The councillor made the remark after tabling a motion calling for a scheduled clean-up of the town’s tunnels in a bid to prevent flooding.
He called on the Council to contract a company to ensure the culverts are free from any large debris and rubbish at least six times a year. Cllr Collins said he tabled the motion because of rumours there were ‘shopping trolleys and trees’ gumming up the works. ‘It would ease people’s minds if they were checked on a regular basis and to reassure people that anything that was dumped in the river wouldn’t be carried into the culverts in the floodwater,’ he added.
Senior engineer Kevin Lynch said the Council has identified a number of ‘potential problem areas’ on the streams and rivers flowing into the culverts. But he reassured the councillors that these problem areas are already being maintained on a regular basis.
‘These locations are inspected and cleaned before forecasted weather events and again after the forecasted weather events have passed,’ he said. ‘This work is carried out by the roads operations staff who have extensive knowledge of the existing drainage systems so it is not proposed to employ external contractors at this point.’
