Groundwater is naturally of high quality and can provide a convenient and cost effective option for water supply. However, a balance must be achieved between the aggregate abstraction of groundwater and the requirements of other users and the natural environment, the latter in terms of groundwater discharge to wetlands and streams. Rigare has worked throughout the UK with a wide range of clients (in the public, private and voluntary sectors), and at a wide range of scales, to ensure optimal use of groundwater resources.

Investigating and understanding groundwater systems

Our services include:

• Project management of investigations; complete design of cost effective investigations, management of contractors, negotiation with land owners and regulators, management of health and safety on site
• Execution of investigations including: drilling supervision, lithological logging to BS5930, aquifer, borehole and pump testing, tracer tests, groundwater quality determination, surface water hydrometry and weather measurement, topographic surveying
• Longer term monitoring, including use of pressure transducers for automated water level measurement
• Data management; quality assurance techniques and fail safe, secure data storage
• Innovative integration, visualisation, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.
• Conceptual modelling; identification, characterisation & quantification of the key hydrogeological properties and processes, leading to the development of conceptual understanding of how groundwater systems work. Including calculation of space and time variant groundwater recharge and water balance calculations

Hydrogeological Impact Assessment (HIA)

Changes to groundwater systems, whether they are human induced (such as groundwater abstraction) or natural (such as climate change), can cause impacts on other parts of the water cycle. There are a wide range of techniques which can be applied to assessing these impacts, a process called Hydrogeological Impact Assessment (HIA). With the benefit of our combined experience, we can select the most appropriate technique for HIA in the context of data availability, data quality and the risk of a significant impact, to ensure a scientifically rigorous and cost effective outcome.

In relation to HIA, our knowledge and capabilities include:

• Informed choice from a range of available techniques, from simple professional judgement through to empirical, analytical and numerical modelling.
• Recognition and management of uncertainty, including techniques for assessment of data and result uncertainty. We always consider the significance of uncertainty in our results in the context of decision-making
• Assessment of impacts on groundwater discharge to surface waters, including use of tools such as IGARF
• Assessment of the potential impacts of climate change on groundwater resources, including a thorough knowledge of the relevant literature (including the IPCC reports and the Stern Review), the UK CIPS datasets describing climate change scenarios and a conceptual understanding of climate change mechanisms in the context of groundwater and surface water systems, including consideration of the inherent uncertainties in these predictions

We have undertaken and reviewed numerous HIAs, including those submitted during Stage 3 and 4 Review of Consents under the Habitats Directive, the Water Framework Directive, the Water Resources Act and for the purposes of mineral planning (including quarries and windfarms). We undertake HIAs for clients and offer a corresponding third party report review.

Rob has recently contributed to a HIA methodology for karst aquifers on behalf of the Science Group of the Environment Agency, for use within the groundwater abstraction transfer licence scheme (mainly affecting quarries and mines) and general groundwater abstraction licence determinations. We also contributed to a critical review of the impact assessment studies for the Review of Consents, recommending requirements for further assessment and reviewing the Environment Agency's strategic management of risk.

Development of groundwater supply and abstraction licensing

• Groundwater supply feasibility studies; assessment of available groundwater resources (likely depth, volumes & quality), design and costing of groundwater supply infrastructure, comparative whole-cycle water supply cost analysis.
• Supervision of drilling, installation & completion of boreholes, installation of water treatment & delivery systems, commissioning & testing.
• If a licence for abstraction may be required then we have experience of working with (and for) the Environment Agency to obtain consents under Section 32(3) of the Water Resources Act for investigation of groundwater sources. We can undertake or provide guidance on the subsequent water features survey, supervision of test pumping, groundwater and surface water level monitoring, analysis & interpretation of results and reporting to the regulator.
• We also provide a problem solving service for existing groundwater supplies.