Verde Environmental Consultant’s Donal Hogan, Senior #hydrogeologist undertaking #groundwater #monitoring #well #surveying as part of a #Hydrogeological #Assessment for client in Co. #Kildare
Hydrogeological assessments would typically be required for facilities in two instances:
- For facilities that have had technical amendments to their licence (IPC/IED/Waste) requiring that they assess their impacts on groundwater and compliance with the Groundwater Regulations, 2010. Such licensees must demonstrate compliance with the regulations before the 22nd of December 2015.
- For facilities that have discharges to ground. The first step is to describe the receiving environment and develop a Conceptual Site Model detailing pollution sources, pollution pathways and sensitive receptors.
This is then followed by a determination of the appropriate tier of hydrogeological assessment required.
- Tier 1 – Preliminary site assessment (for low risk sites)
- Tier 2 – Generic Quantitative Risk Assessment (for moderate risk sites)
- Tier 3 – Detailed Quantitative Risk Assessment (for high risk sites)
A Tier 1 assessment comprises an assessment of past monitoring data, past hydrogeological assessments and publicly available data (e.g. EPA, GSI databases).
A Tier 2 assessment involves the above, in addition to further monitoring and a comparison of monitoring results with Generic Assessment Criteria (e.g. Groundwater limits stipulated as per the Groundwater Regulations, 2010).
A Tier 3 Assessment involves the above, in addition to a comparison of monitoring results with site specific criteria, calculated in accordance with EPA Guidance on the subject (e.g. using the UK CLEA Model). Typically a Tier 3 assessment would require an in-situ intrusive investigation and a 3rd party contractor would typically be procured to carry out such works.
Upon completion of the hydrogeological assessment we can determine whether a client complies with the Groundwater Regulations of 2010 / the Water Framework Directive ‘Prevent or limit’ Objective. A hydrogeological assessment report will be the final product provided to the client.
Verde have a team of hydrogeologists who are experienced in analysing, controlling and protecting groundwater. We offer our clients the following comprehensive range of hydrogeological assessment services:
- Hydrogeological site investigations
- Hydrogeological impact assessments and Environmental Impact Statements
- Groundwater resource development
- Groundwater flooding assessments
- Groundwater Abstraction feasibility assessment
- Numerical groundwater flow and contaminant transport modelling
- Source Protection Zones
- Water resource evaluation studies including aquifer testing and interpretation
- Geothermal feasibility studies and design of abstraction and discharge wells for geothermal systems
- Recharge feasibility assessments and design of trial and fullscale recharge systems
- Water Quality Monitoring
- Discharge licence applications
- Borehole decommissioning