County Kilkenny Groundwater Protection Scheme Volume II: Source Protection Zones and Groundwater Quality July 2002 Dunmore Cave, County Kilkenny (photograph Terence P. Dunne) Tom Gunning, B.E., C.Eng., F.I.E.I. Ruth Buckley and Vincent Fitzsimons Director of Services Groundwater Section Kilkenny County Council Geological Survey of Ireland County Hall Beggars Bush Kilkenny Haddington Road Dublin 4 County Kilkenny Groundwater Protection Scheme Authors Ruth Buckley, Groundwater Section, Geological Survey of Ireland Vincent Fitzsimons, Groundwater Section, Geological Survey of Ireland with contributions by: Susan Hegarty, Quaternary Section Geological Survey of Ireland Cecilia Gately, Groundwater Section Geological Survey of Ireland Subsoils mapped by: Susan Hegarty, Quaternary Section, Geological Survey of Ireland Supervision: Willie Warren, Quaternary Section, Geological Survey of Ireland in collaboration with: Kilkenny County Council County Kilkenny Groundwater Protection Scheme – Volume II Table of Contents Sections 1 to 6 are contained within Volume I. They comprise an overall introduction, classifications of aquifers and vulnerability, and overall conclusions. 7. GROUNDWATER QUALITY ................................................................................................................... 4 7.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 4 7.2 SCOPE ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 7.3 METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................................................... 7 7.4 GROUNDWATER OCCURRENCE AND EXPLOITATION IN COUNTY KILKENNY............................................... 9 7.5 INDICATORS OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION .................................................................................. 10 7.6 GENERAL GROUNDWATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF SUPPLY SOURCES ................................................. 18 7.7 APPRAISAL OF WATER QUALITY ISSUES AT SPECIFIC SUPPLY SOURCES .................................................. 19 7.8 CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................................................... 19 7.9 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................................20 7.10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................................... 21 8. BENNETTSBRIDGE SOURCE ............................................................................................................... 22 8.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 22 8.2 LOCATION AND SITE DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................... 22 8.3 SUMMARY OF SOURCE DETAILS ............................................................................................................... 23 8.4 METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................................ 23 8.5 TOPOGRAPHY AND SURFACE HYDROLOGY............................................................................................... 24 8.6 GEOLOGY AND AQUIFERS......................................................................................................................... 24 8.7 GROUNDWATER VULNERABILITY............................................................................................................. 25 8.8 RAINFALL, EVAPORATION AND RECHARGE .............................................................................................. 26 8.9 GROUNDWATER LEVELS ........................................................................................................................... 27 8.10 GROUNDWATER FLOW DIRECTIONS AND GRADIENTS .......................................................................... 27 8.11 WATER QUALITY ................................................................................................................................. 28 8.12 AQUIFER PARAMETERS ........................................................................................................................ 29 8.13 CONCEPTUAL MODEL........................................................................................................................... 30 8.14 DELINEATION OF SOURCE PROTECTION AREAS.................................................................................... 30 8.15 LAND USE AND POTENTIAL POLLUTION SOURCES ............................................................................... 32 8.16 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 33 9. CALLAN SOURCE ................................................................................................................................... 34 9.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 34 9.2 LOCATION AND SITE DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................... 34 9.3 SUMMARY OF SOURCE DETAILS ............................................................................................................... 34 9.4 METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................................ 35 9.5 TOPOGRAPHY AND SURFACE HYDROLOGY............................................................................................... 35 9.6 GEOLOGY AND AQUIFERS......................................................................................................................... 36 9.7 GROUNDWATER VULNERABILITY............................................................................................................. 37 9.8 RAINFALL, EVAPORATION AND RECHARGE .............................................................................................. 37 9.9 GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE AND GROUNDWATER LEVELS ..................................................................... 38 9.10 GROUNDWATER FLOW DIRECTIONS AND GRADIENTS .......................................................................... 38 9.11 HYDROCHEMISTRY AND WATER QUALITY........................................................................................... 39 9.12 AQUIFER PARAMETERS ........................................................................................................................ 40 9.13 CONCEPTUAL MODEL........................................................................................................................... 40 9.14 DELINEATION OF SOURCE PROTECTION AREAS.................................................................................... 41 9.15 GROUNDWATER PROTECTION ZONES ................................................................................................... 42 9.16 LAND USE AND POTENTIAL POLLUTION SOURCES ............................................................................... 42 9.17 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 43 10. GLENMORE SOURCE ........................................................................................................................ 44 10.1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 44 10.2 LOCATION AND SITE DESCRIPTION....................................................................................................... 44 10.3 SUMMARY OF SOURCE DETAILS........................................................................................................... 45 1 County Kilkenny Groundwater Protection Scheme – Volume II 10.4 METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................................... 45 10.5 TOPOGRAPHY AND SURFACE HYDROLOGY .......................................................................................... 46 10.6 GEOLOGY AND AQUIFERS .................................................................................................................... 46 10.7 GROUNDWATER VULNERABILITY......................................................................................................... 47 10.8 RAINFALL, EVAPORATION AND RECHARGE.......................................................................................... 47 10.9 GROUNDWATER LEVELS....................................................................................................................... 48 10.10 GROUNDWATER FLOW DIRECTIONS AND GRADIENTS .......................................................................... 48 10.11 HYDROCHEMISTRY AND WATER QUALITY........................................................................................... 48 10.12 AQUIFER PARAMETERS ........................................................................................................................ 49 10.13 CONCEPTUAL MODEL..........................................................................................................................