APPENDIX 6 Surface Water and Drainage

A6.1 EPA River Quality Classification System

The Q values are a measure of the EPA’s Biological River Quality classification system. The EPA conducts a rolling programme of biological surveys of selected rivers. The higher the biological diversity and the greater the abundance of invertebrate species sensitive to organic pollution, the higher the water quality is assumed to be, and the higher the ‘Q value’ assigned to that sampling station. The EPA’s water quality classification systems are summarised below:

Biological River Quality Classification and River Water Quality Class System (EPA 1999):

‘Q’ value	Community Diversity	Water Quality	Condition*	Status	Quality
Q5	High	Good	Satisfactory	Unpolluted	Class A
Q4	Reduced	Fair	Satisfactory	Unpolluted	Class A
Q3	Much Reduced	Doubtful	Unsatisfactory	Slightly Polluted	Class B
Q2	Low	Poor	Unsatisfactory	Moderately Polluted	Class C
Q1	Very Low	Bad	Unsatisfactory	Seriously Polluted	Class D

* ‘Condition’ refers to the likelihood of interference with beneficial or potential beneficial use.

Class A waters are those in which problems relating to existing or potential uses are unlikely to arise. They are therefore regarded as being in a ‘satisfactory’ condition. Classes B, C and D are to a lesser or greater extent ‘unsatisfactory’ in this regard. For example, the main characteristics of Class B and C waters is eutrophication, which may interfere with the amenity, abstraction or fisheries uses of such waters.

A6.2 River Lee reservoir operating rules

	Inishcarra Reservoir	Carrigadrohid Reservoir
Maximum allowable level	51.20	66.45
Max normal operating level	50.00	64.50
Normal target max	49.50	64.20
Normal target min	47.50	62.00
Min operating level Apr-Sep	45.70	63.40
Min operating level Oct-Mar	45.70	61.00

A6.3 Proposed Improvements To Water Supply And Waste Water Treatment In The Study Area (Cork C.C. 1996)

Scheme	Cost (I£)	Comments
Inishcarra Water Treatment Plant. Sludge drying facility and removal of Manganese	-	Required for environmental reasons and for water quality improvement. At present sludge is discharged to River Lee
Macroom Water Supply System	4.0m	Needed to meet water quality standards
Ballyvourney, Balymakeery Sewerage Scheme	1.04m	To meet environmental discharge requirements

A6.4 Effluent Discharges within Study Area (Provided for Macroom area only. Details for Blarney and Ballincollig areas not provided)

River	Discharge Grid Reference	Source	Level of Treatment
Sullane	218760	Ballyvourney WWTW	Septic Tank
Sullane	260740	Lissacresig WWTW	Septic Tank
Sullane	349728	Macroom WWTW	Secondary
Foherish	294760	Clondrohid Creamery	Septic Tank
Foherish	297748	Clondrohid WWTW	Septic Tank
River Lee	354717	Milk Processor	Activated Sludge, Secondary

A6.5 Significant water crossings and floodplain incursions

Route	Major crossings		Length (approx)		Infrastructure in vicinity	Acceptable water level increase	Number of minor crossings	Impact without mitigation	Required scale of
	Waterbody	Type of crossing	Crossing	Floodplain					mitigation	study
1G3	None					n/a	2	Negligible
1Y3	None					n/a	1	Negligible
3G4G6	Finnow	River	6m	20-40m	no	moderate	11	Minor	low	low
	Foherish	River	30m	10-20m	no	moderate			low	low
3G4P5Y6	Finnow	River	6m	20-40m	no	moderate	11	Moderate	low	low
	Finnow	River	10m	20-40m	no	moderate			low	low
	Finnow	River	15m	40-60m	no	moderate			low	low
	Foherish	River	30m	20-40m	no	moderate			low	low
	Foherish	Floodplain		40-60m	no	moderate			low	low
3Y6	Foherish	River	40m	50-80m	no?	small	9	Minor	low	low-moderate
	Sullane	Floodplain		50-80m	no	small			low	low
6G16	Laney	River	30m	20-40m	no	moderate	6	Minor	low	low
	Inishcarra	Reservoir	400m			very small			low	low
	Glashgarriff	River	6m	nil	no	moderate			low	low
	Bride	River	25m	40-60m	village	small or nil			low	moderate
6Y7R16	Laney	River	35m	40-60m	Mill nearby	small or nil	5	Minor	low	low-moderate
	Carrigadrohid	Reservoir	150m			very small			low	low
	Kame	River	4m	40-60m	2-3 houses	small or nil			moderate	moderate
	Bride	River	25m	40-60m	village	small or nil			low	moderate
6G9P13R16	Laney	River	30m	20-40m	no	moderate	8	Minor	low	low
	Inishcarra	Reservoir	100m			very small			low	low-moderate
	Kame	River	4m	20-40m	no	moderate			low	low
	Bride	River	25m	40-60m	village	small or nil			low	moderate
6Y11	Laney	River	35m	40-60m	Mill nearby	small or nil	2	Minor	low	low
	Sullane	River	50m	40-60m		small or nil			low	moderate
	Carrigadrohid	Reservoir	200m			very small			low	low
	Buningea	River	4m	20-40m		moderate			low	low
6Y8P10B11	Laney	River	35m	40-60m	Mill nearby	small or nil	3	Moderate	low	low
	Sullane	River	50m	40-60m		small or nil			low	moderate
	Carrigadrohid	Reservoir	200m			very small			low	low
	Buningea	River	4m	20-40m	village	nil			low	moderate
6B11	Laney	River	35m	40-60m	Mill nearby	small or nil	5	Minor	low	low
	Carrigadrohid	Possibly floodable area		0-400m	no	very small			low	low-moderate
	Carrigadrohid	Reservoir	200m			very small			low	low
11Y16	Bride	Floodplain		8000m?	no?	small	8	Major	high	high
	Bride	River	25m	40-60m	village	small or nil			low	moderate
11B16	Bride	River	18m	200m	Crookstown	nil	8	Moderate	moderate	high
	Bride	River	18m	20-40m	1 house	small or nil			moderate	moderate
	Bride	Floodplain		40-60m	no	moderate			low	low
	Bride	River	25m	40-60m	village	small or nil			low	moderate
11Y12aB16	Bride	Floodplain		8000m?	no?	small	8	Major	high	moderate
	Bride	Floodplain		40-60m	no	moderate			low	low
	Bride	River	25m	40-60m	village	small or nil			low	moderate

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