Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN><SPAN>Two Source Protection Areas (SPAs) are delineated. The Inner Protection Area (SI), designed to protect against the effects of human activities that might have an immediate effect on the source and, in particular, against microbial pollution. The Outer Protection Area (SO), encompassing the remainder of the zone of contribution (ZOC) to the groundwater abstraction point (e.g. borehole or spring).</SPAN></SPAN></P><P><SPAN><SPAN>Not all groundwater-fed public supply sources have SPAs delineated around them. The majority of studies (more than 125) have been undertaken by Geological Survey Ireland as part of County Groundwater Protection Schemes. Environmental Protection Agency carried out more than 40 studies as part of the national groundwater monitoring network characterisation. Further studies have been undertaken by consultancies for Local Authorities and Irish Water.</SPAN></SPAN></P><P><SPAN><SPAN>Public Water Supplies (PWSs) are operated by Irish Water, Ireland's national water utility, since 2013. Prior to this, public water supplies were managed by Local Authorities. More than 70% of public supplies take groundwater from boreholes, springs and infiltration galleries. This accounts for approximately 23% by volume (Irish Water, 2018).</SPAN></SPAN></P><P><SPAN><SPAN>Different methods can be used to map the entire Zone of Contribution to a spring, borehole or well, resulting in different degrees of confidence associated with the boundaries of the delineated area. To be able to specify the Inner Protection Zone within the entire Zone of Contribution, knowledge or estimates of groundwater travel time within the aquifer are required (e.g. from site-specific hydrogeological parameters or tracer tests).</SPAN></SPAN></P><P><SPAN><SPAN>Source Protection Areas have been delineated by GSI and EPA following the </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>‘</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>GSI method</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>’</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>(e.g., GSI/EPA/IGI Source Protection Zonation course, 2009; Kelly, 2010; DELG/EPA/GSI, 1999). These SPAs were delineated as part of County Groundwater Protection Schemes or as part of the WFD Groundwater Monitoring network characterisation. Other SPAs have been delineated by consultants for Local Authorities/Irish Water. These have not necessarily been peer-reviewed by GSI. </SPAN></SPAN></P><P><SPAN><SPAN>The Zone of Contribution and the Source Protection Area account for the </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>‘</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>horizontal</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>’</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>movement of groundwater. Source Protection Zones are obtained by integrating the Source Protection Areas with the groundwater vulnerability categories. The Source Protection Zone includes the complete pathway, both vertical and horizontal, for re-charge and any entrained contaminants to the abstraction point.</SPAN></SPAN></P><P><SPAN><SPAN>Whereas the objective of delineating ZOCs is to define approximate areas that contribute water to an abstraction point, the objective of SPZs</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>is to geo-scientifically characterise the pathway and receptor elements of risk to groundwater within the ZOC of a given source (Kelly, 2010). EPA prepared an advice note on “Source Protection and Catchment Management to protect Groundwater Supplies”</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>that outlines the key measures and policies in place in Ireland (EPA, 2011).</SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 14 0;"><SPAN>Scale: 1:15,000 - 1:20,000</SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 14 0;"><SPAN /></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Service Item Id: 94c741a6850b4b8f9edbbf4d1ad958e5
Copyright Text: Contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence
Name: Group Scheme Preliminary Source Protection Areas
Display Field: GWS
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolygon
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P STYLE="text-align:Justify;margin:7 0 7 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>Group Water Schemes (GWSs) are community-run water supply schemes. About 70% of GWSs take their water from a privately-sourced supply. The remainder take their water from an Irish Water connection (DHPLG, 2017). 81% of the privately-sourced supplies affiliated to the National Federation of Group Water Schemes (NFGWS) take groundwater from boreholes, springs and dug wells. This is approximately 54% by volume (NFGWS, 2018).</SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="text-align:Justify;margin:7 0 7 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>The NFGWS is the representative for community-owned rural water services in Ireland. The NFGWS assists schemes in meeting the challenges of water quality legislation and promotes a ‘multi-barrier approach’ to source protection. The ‘multi-barrier approach’ includes delineation of the Zone of Contribution to a supply source. </SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>A Zone of Contribution (ZOC) is the land area that contributes water to a well or spring (</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN STYLE="font-style:italic;"><SPAN>Misstear et al</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN>., 2006). It can be considered as the ‘catchment’ to the supply source. Like surface water bodies, springs have natural catchment areas, whereas catchment areas to boreholes depend on a number of hydrogeological and meteorological factors plus the abstraction rate. A ZOC accounts for the ‘horizontal’ movement of groundwater and any entrained contamination once it has reached the water table and is moving towards the abstraction point. </SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN /></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 10 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>The objective of delineating ZOCs is to define the area that contributes water to an abstraction point. Knowledge of where the water is coming from is critical when trying to interpret water quality data at the groundwater source. The ZOC also provides an area in which to focus further investigation and is an area where protective measures can be introduced to maintain or improve the quality of groundwater.</SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 10 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>Different methods can be used to map the ZOC to a spring, borehole or dug well, resulting in different degrees of confidence associated with the boundaries of the de-lineated area. The ZOCs and accompanying reports should be considered as preliminary source protection studies. The work was undertaken by consultants under supervision and review by GSI, and represents a partnership between the GWSs, the NFGWS and GSI. The work was funded through the Rural Water Programme funding initiative of grants towards specific source protection works on GWSs (DECLG Circular L5/13 and Explanatory Memorandum).</SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 10 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>The ZOCs were delineated in the period 2011 to 2019. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>The maps produced are based largely on the readily available information in the area, a field walkover survey, and on mapping techniques which use inferences and judgements based on experience at other sites. As such, the maps cannot claim to be definitively accurate across the whole area covered, and should not be used as the sole basis for site-specific decisions, which will usually require the collection of additional site-specific data. </SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 14 0;"><SPAN>Scale: 1:15,000 - 1:20,000</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Service Item Id: 94c741a6850b4b8f9edbbf4d1ad958e5
Copyright Text: Contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence