Kilkenny towns to get 'rain gardens'
Rain gardens are being installed across Kilkenny thanks to bonus funding from the River Basin Management Service.
The shallow, planted beds are designed to capture, temporarily hold, then naturally filter stormwater runoff from hard surfaces like roads and paths, before it can pool or cause local flooding.
At the recent meeting of councillors in the Callan Thomastown municipal district, a number of projects were listed.
Area Engineer, Declan Murphy, said one of the nature-based solutions to surface water was recently completed at Duiske College, in Graignamanagh.
Similar projects will also be completed at Lower Bridge Street in Callan and at Dangan Terrace in Thomastown.
Planting will also be included in the projects.
Director of Services, Fiona Deegan, thanked the River Basin Management Service for the funding. She said a lot more of this kind of engineering solution is going to be seen and she complimented Mr Murphy for leading the way for the county.
Municipal District Chair, Cllr Deirdre Cullen, welcomed the work.
“It’s about time,” she said, adding that people had been calling for nature-based solutions to water issues for so long.
“There is no reason why we can’t marry together nature-based solutions with hard engineering, like at Daingean Terrace,” she said.
“We have to take a look at how nature-based solutions can help us with flood protections,” the councillor added.
She also welcomed news that an engineer with expertise in the area of nature-based solutions will soon join the county council roads team.