The Christmas shopping season has been scuppered for a Tramore gift shop due to flooding.

Elaine Roche of TRM had opened a gift store in the town but a major leak occurred yesterday.

Speaking earlier on 'Deise Today', Elaine expressed her frustration with Uisce Éireann and Waterford Council.

"We stood with buckets and mops but it got worse and worse," she explained.

"We called Irish Water, they came about half four and had a look in a few manholes and went off and left us. I rang the council and was told I'd get a call from an engineer but nobody contacted me. At eleven thirty last night myself and my partner were bucketing out water and it was getting worse and worse."

However, Elaine praised the emergency services for their response describing them as "unbelievable".

In a statement to WLR, the local authority said:

"Waterford City and County Council has been informed that the investigations undertaken by Uisce Éireann have determined that the flooding is not from a burst water pipe or sewer and is most likely a natural spring.

Waterford Fire Services attended the scene during the night, along with Water Services staff.  This morning Waterford City and County Council dispatched a further ground crew to the premises to assist in any way it can.

The Council has determined the source to be a natural spring, and as such is not responsible. However, Waterford City and County Council’s ground crew will continue to assist the proprietor in alleviating and mitigating against the damage.

Groundwater flooding tends to occur when the ground is saturated and the soil cannot drain rainfall away quickly enough.  Unfortunately, given the level of rainfall the county has experienced in the last three month, incidences of groundwater flooding have increased significantly."

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