Environmental Research Centre Report Series No. 17 A Review of Groundwater Levels in the South-East of Ireland STRIVE Environmental Protection Agency Programme 2007-2013 Comhshaol, Pobal agus Rialtas Áitiúil Environment, Community and Local Government EPA Inside Pages NEW_Blue Text 31/08/2011 15:24 Page 1 Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is REGULATING IRELAND’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS a statutory body responsible for protecting n Quantifying Ireland’s emissions of greenhouse gases the environment in Ireland. We regulate and in the context of our Kyoto commitments. police activities that might otherwise cause n Implementing the Emissions Trading Directive, pollution. We ensure there is solid involving over 100 companies who are major information on environmental trends so that generators of carbon dioxide in Ireland. necessary actions are taken. Our priorities are protecting the Irish environment and ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ensuring that development is sustainable. n Co-ordinating research on environmental issues (including air and water quality, climate change, The EPA is an independent public body biodiversity, environmental technologies). established in July 1993 under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Its sponsor in Government is the Department n Assessing the impact of plans and programmes on of the Environment, Community and Local the Irish environment (such as waste management Government. and development plans). ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING, EDUCATION AND OUR RESPONSIBILITIES GUIDANCE n Providing guidance to the public and to industry on LICENSING various environmental topics (including licence We license the following to ensure that their emissions applications, waste prevention and environmental do not endanger human health or harm the environment: regulations). n Generating greater environmental awareness n waste facilities (e.g., landfills, incinerators, (through environmental television programmes and waste transfer stations); primary and secondary schools’ resource packs). n large scale industrial activities (e.g., pharmaceutical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, power plants); PROACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT n intensive agriculture; n Promoting waste prevention and minimisation n the contained use and controlled release of projects through the co-ordination of the National Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs); Waste Prevention Programme, including input into the implementation of Producer Responsibility n large petrol storage facilities; Initiatives. n waste water discharges. n Enforcing Regulations such as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and substances that deplete the ozone layer. n Conducting over 2,000 audits and inspections of EPA licensed facilities every year. n Developing a National Hazardous Waste Management Plan to prevent and manage hazardous waste. n Overseeing local authorities’ environmental protection responsibilities in the areas of - air, noise, waste, waste-water and water quality. 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The work of the EPA is carried out across four offices: n n Prosecuting those who flout environmental law and Office of Climate, Licensing and Resource Use damage the environment as a result of their actions. n Office of Environmental Enforcement n Office of Environmental Assessment MONITORING, ANALYSING AND REPORTING ON THE n Office of Communications and Corporate Services ENVIRONMENT n Monitoring air quality and the quality of rivers, The EPA is assisted by an Advisory Committee of twelve lakes, tidal waters and ground waters; measuring members who meet several times a year to discuss water levels and river flows. issues of concern and offer advice to the Board. n Independent reporting to inform decision making by national and local government. A Review of Groundwater Levels in the South-East of Ireland Review of Groundwater Level Data in the South Eastern River Basin District Environmental Research Centre Report Prepared for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Geological Survey of Ireland by Trinity College Dublin Authors: Katie Tedd, Bruce Misstear, Catherine Coxon, Donal Daly, Taly Hunter Williams, Matthew Craig and Anthony Mannix ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland Telephone: +353 53 916 0600 Fax: +353 53 916 0699 Email: [email protected] Website: www.epa.ie © Environmental Protection Agency 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is published as part of the Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for the Environment (STRIVE) Programme 2007–2013. The programme is financed by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007–2013. It is administered on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government by the Environmental Protection Agency which has the statutory function of co-ordinating and promoting environmental research. This report was prepared for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) by Trinity College Dublin. The groundwater level and associated data, on which this report is based, were provided by the EPA and the GSI. Permission to reproduce Ordnance Survey Ireland data is duly acknowledged. The authors wish to thank the following for their contributions to the report: Robert Meehan (Talamhireland) for his expertise on the subsoils of the South Eastern River Basin District, Geoff Wright and Eugene Daly for guidance on the GSI's historic groundwater level data and Noreen Brennan for providing all Met Éireann data. DISCLAIMER Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this publication, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Neither the Environmental Protection Agency nor the author(s) accept any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned or claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full, as a consequence of any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this publication. All or part of this publication may be reproduced without further permission, provided the source is acknowledged. Reports produced through the Environmental Research Centre are intended as contributions to inform policy makers and other stakeholders to the necessary debate on environmental protection. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTRE PROGRAMME 2007–2013 Published by the Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland ISBN: 978-1-84095-390-9 Price: Free Online version ii Details of Project Partners Katie Tedd* Bruce Misstear Department of Geology Department of Civil, Structural and Trinity College Dublin Environmental Engineering Dublin 2 Trinity College Dublin Ireland Dublin 2 Tel.: +353 1 2680201 Ireland Email: [email protected] Tel.: +353 1 8962212 Email: [email protected] Catherine Coxon Donal Daly Department of Geology Hydrometric & Groundwater Section Trinity College Dublin Environmental Protection Agency Dublin 2 McCumiskey House Ireland Richview Tel.: +353 1 8962235 Clonskeagh Road Email: [email protected] Dublin 14 Ireland Tel.: + 353 1 2680186 Email: [email protected] Taly Hunter Williams Matthew Craig Groundwater Section Hydrometric & Groundwater Section Geological Survey of Ireland Environmental Protection Agency Haddington Road McCumiskey House Dublin 4 Richview Ireland Clonskeagh Road Tel.: +353 1 6782780 Dublin 14 Email: [email protected] Ireland Tel.: + 353 1 2680137 Email: [email protected] Anthony Mannix *Current address Hydrometric & Groundwater Section Hydrometric & Groundwater Section Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency McCumiskey House McCumiskey House Richview Richview Clonskeagh Road Clonskeagh Road Dublin 14 Dublin 14 Ireland Ireland Tel.: + 353 1 2680203 Tel.: + 353 1 2680201 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ii Disclaimer ii Details of Project Partners iii Executive Summary vii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Overview 1 1.2 Objectives 1 1.3 Report Outline 1 2 Climate 4 2.1 Precipitation 4 2.2 Potential Evapotranspiration 6 2.3 Effective Rainfall 6 3 Physical Setting 12 3.1 Topography 12 3.2 Surface Water Networks 12 4 Geology 14 4.1 Introduction 14 4.2 Lower Palaeozoic Strata 14 4.3 Devonian Strata 14 4.4 Carboniferous Strata 17 4.5 Structure 19 4.6 Subsoils (Quaternary Deposits) 19 5 Hydrogeology 23 5.1 Introduction 23 5.2 Aquifer Properties 23 5.3 Subsoils 29 5.4 Recharge 32 5.5 Conceptual Model 32 6 Groundwater Level Network 36 6.1 Groundwater Level Monitoring – Historic 36 6.2 Groundwater Level Monitoring – Current 38 v 6.3 Information Sources 38 7 Groundwater Level Trends 42 7.1 Hydrographs 42 7.2 Short-Term and Seasonal Groundwater Level Trends 53 7.3 Trends in Long-Term Groundwater Levels 59 7.4 Interactions between Groundwater and Surface Water 61 8 Summary and Recommendations 65 References 67 Acronyms 70 Appendix A 71 Appendix B 78 Appendix C 85 Appendix D 98 vi Executive Summary Groundwater level monitoring, and the subsequent Groundwater level data and monitoring point (MP) evaluation and interpretation of records, provides information for MPs