Hydro G Final report - Kildare.ie

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Hydro-G FINAL REPORT 2.4. Groundwater Quality Monitoring within Intel Ireland Ltd. Extracts from the groundwater quality monitoring reports for three monitoring boreholes located within the Intel Ireland site were also provided by Intel Ireland. Two of these wells (MW13 and MW15, Figure 3) are located approximately 400m west of the Spa Well. Another well MW14 is located adjacent to the western boundary of the site (~2m from the fence). The results presented in the report from Intel suggest different water signatures in monitoring boreholes MW13-MW15 and MW14, the difference being 5-7 times higher chloride levels in MW14 than in MW13 and MW15, and subsequently higher EC levels. This suggests that MW14 is influenced by water discharging from the Spa Well. The reports states also that chloride levels increased throughout 2006-2007 monitoring period. 2.5. Additional Information During the initial site visit in December 2007, Mr Simon Wallace presented a current understanding of the flow mechanism, which suggested that water from the Spa Well is directed through an underground channel to two ponds, which, in the literature (Matthews, 2007), are referred to as ‘filtering ponds’. These ponds are located approximately 50m down gradient from the Spa Well and their assumed function is to filter water from the Spa Well on its way the Roman Bath, built c. 100m away from the well in direction of the Rye Water river. However, other information (Ecoserve, 2006) suggests that these ‘filtering ponds’ are actually cold springs. The suggested layout of the underground channel from the Spa Well was parallel to the Royal Canal, i.e. north eastern direction (Figure 4). In addition, a sketch map (drawing) was presented by Mr. Wallace, which showed presence of a service pipe under the upper part of the site. This pipe runs in north eastern direction from the car park, towards the ‘filtering ponds’ and, approximately 20-30m down gradient from the Spa Well, it sharply turn eastwards towards and under the Royal Canal (Figure 5). Hydro-G contacted Water Services in Kildare County Council to investigate precise location, depth and circumstances of laying this pipe, but no further information was available on file. The approximate time of laying the pipe is early 1980s. Hydro-G initiated also a meeting with Mr. Niall Meagher, who is a retired architect for Kildare County Council. During that meeting, a drawing from 1981 was presented that included an underground pipe suggesting a discharge of water from the Spa Well in north western direction and later, after approximately 30m from the Spa Well, the pipe turning at 90° towards north east (Figure 3). Further literature review (Minerex, 1983) confirmed that the original outlet from the Spa Well is in north western direction (Photo 1). The above information suggests that the original discharge from the Spa Well is in north western direction, directly towards the Roman Bath. It is likely also that the underground pipe from the Spa Well was diverted in north eastern direction in 1970’s or early 1980’s. Project No.: 07_136 -7- Leixlip Spa
Hydro-G FINAL REPORT 1983 2008 Photo 1 Photographs of Leixlip Spa Well from 1983 (Minerex, 1983) and from 2008 (Hydro-G). 3. Field Work Results The field work was designed to investigate the groundwater flow pathways within the study site and was initiated with a site walkover, during which majority of springs and seepages were identified. Further investigation of these springs and seepages included examination of their physio-chemical characteristics (temperature, EC, TDS, pH) and their hydrochemical signature to establish linkage between different groundwater discharge zones. Subsequently, this facilitated development of a conceptual model of the groundwater flow throughout the site. Flow measurements were taken, where possible, to assist building the conceptual groundwater flow model. 3.1. Site Observations The entrance to the site leads though a hard standing area that in the past served as a car parking. This was created in 1980’s to facilitate access to the site. However, continued misuse of the parking resulted in gating access to the car park in early 1990’s. As a result, the remnant parking area comprises partially compacted soil and partially hard standing surface. Within the SAC boundary five terraces were identified, whose topography steeply dips in a northern direction. This distinct topography controls water flows within the site, which, due to the cascading nature of the bedrock, tends to overflow from one terrace to another or seep from the bedrock and through the relatively shallow soil. The features of the Leixlip Spa site are presented on Figure 4. All sampling locations were numbered as presented in Figure 4 and that is how they are referred to in this text. The first terrace extends from the site entrance to the Roman Bath. There are two ponds, an Upper Pond and a Lower Pond on the eastern extent of the site half way between the Spa Well and the Roman Bath. Historical documents (Matthews, 2007) suggest that these ponds act as filters for the spring water from the Spa Well on its way to the Roman Bath. As such, these ponds are often referred to as ‘filtering ponds’. However, marshy vegetation and presence of tufaceous deposits surrounding the ponds suggests water rich in calcium bicarbonate seeping through the ground in this location. There are no bedrock exposures at this terrace and the ground looks relatively dry, i.e. free draining except for the fen-wetland pocket around the ‘filtering ponds’. Behind the western edge of Project No.: 07_136 -8- Leixlip Spa
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Hydro G Final report - Kildare.ie

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