L o a d i n g
Overviewaquatic environmentclean watersenvironmentenvironmental qualityground water statusground waterbody statusground watersgroundwatergroundwater protectiongroundwater qualitygwb statushydrographyiewaterwater managementwater qualitywater quality monitoringwater status
This dataset show status results based on the assessment of groundwater chemical and quantitative figures in Ireland. This is drawn from representative monitoring points selected specifically for the Water Framework Directive (WFD) groundwater monitoring programme.
Additional Information
KeyValue
Conforms To["The INSPIRE Directive or INSPIRE lays down a general framework for a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) for the purposes of European Community environmental policies and policies or activities which may have an impact on the environment.", "http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/29902"]
Contact Emailgis@epa.ie
Contact NameEnvironmental Protection Agency
FrequencyOther
Guidhttps://data.gov.ie/dataset/68226e71-da99-48de-94e9-fb693ee307ce
Harvest Object Ide7062f3a-19c0-4b8c-8136-d053debabf44
Harvest Source Id01350574-268d-4abb-b9b4-8108224932c4
Harvest Source Titledata.gov.ie - Environment
Identifier68226e71-da99-48de-94e9-fb693ee307ce
Issued2010-01-01
Language["http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/language/ENG"]
Modified2026-06-03T02:26:21
ProvenanceThe European Communities Environmental Objectives (Groundwater) Regulations,
2010 define the criteria for groundwater body classification. In order to assess whether these
conditions are being met, a series of tests has been prescribed for each of the quality elements
defining good (chemical and quantitative) groundwater status.
Status assessments are required for all groundwater bodies identified as being at risk of failing
one or more objectives of the WFD. The assessments show the impacts of abstraction and
pollutants on groundwater at the time of assessment. The groundwater bodies range in size
from less than 1 km2
to 1,884 km2
which may be a consequence of the physical setting or the specific
management objective. While the water body may be at good status, there can still be localised
environmental risks, e.g. where the local pollution impacts on groundwater quality which is not
substantial enough to impact on the status of the whole groundwater body.
Classification of groundwater bodies differs from that undertaken for surface water bodies,
in that the surface water standards relate to ecological status and these standards define
the classification boundaries. Groundwater status does not directly assess ecology, but the
classification process takes account of the ecological needs of the relevant rivers and terrestrial
ecosystems that depend on contributions from groundwater. Another key component of the
groundwater classification is assessment of the impact of pollution on the uses (or potential
uses) of groundwater from the groundwater body, e.g. for water supply.
Five chemical and four quantitative tests have been developed to assess whether the WFD
objectives are met. The worst-case classification from the relevant chemical status tests
is reported as the overall chemical status for the groundwater body, and the worst-case
classification of the quantitative tests is reported as the overall quantitative status for the
groundwater body. Tests for assessing chemical status of groundwater include; looking for evidence of saline or
other intrusions, exceedances of a range of quality standards and thresholds that would result
in failure to achieve the environmental objectives of associated surface waters, groundwaterdependent
terrestrial ecosystems, or drinking water protected areas. It also involves looking for
evidence of deteriorating trends in quality. Tests for assessing quantitative status of groundwater
focus on over-abstraction of groundwater and include; looking for evidence of saline or other
intrusions due to change in groundwater levels, impacts on the environmental objectives of
associated surface waters and groundwater-dependent terrestrial ecosystems due to alterations
in groundwater levels, and assessing water balances to determine whether the available
groundwater resource is exceeded by the long-term annual average rate of abstraction. Full
details of status tests are available on the Agency’s website10.
A groundwater status update was carried out in December 2014 for a number of the main
status sub-tests that caused groundwater bodies to be at “Poor Status”, both quantitative and
chemical, from the first River Basin Management Plan cycle. Further updates will be made to
groundwater body status in 2015 following the completion of a groundwater body boundary
review (physical characterisation) and further risk characterisation. EPA WFD groundwater
quality data from 2007 to 2012 have generally been used where an update has been carried
out, with trends based on data from 2000 to 2012, where available. Where the status update
has not been carried out in 2014, the results of the status reported in 2011, based on EPA WFD
groundwater quality data from 2003 to 2008, have been taken forward.
Publisher NameEnvironmental Protection Agency
Publisher Urihttps://data.gov.ie/organization/environmental-protection-agency
Spatial{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[-10.47472, 51.44555],[-10.47472, 55.37999], [-6.01306, 55.37999], [-6.01306, 51.44555], [-10.47472, 51.44555]]]}
Temporal End2015-07-16
Temporal Start2010-01-01
Theme["http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/data-theme/ENVI", "Environment"]
Urihttps://data.gov.ie/dataset/68226e71-da99-48de-94e9-fb693ee307ce