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ANNEX E: TESTS FOR ASSESSING GROUNDWATER CHEMICAL STATUS
Test 1: Presence or absence of saline or other intrusions
Test 1 is common to the assessment of groundwater chemical status and groundwater quantitative status.
Trigger for applying test | Criteria for poor groundwater chemical status |
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Failure of a threshold value indicative of a risk of saline intrusion; or Indications of a significant risk of other intrusions | (a) significant and sustained upward trend in electrical conductivity indicating saline intrusion; (b) significant or sustained upward trend in the concentration of indicators of the risk of other intrusions; or (c) evidence that abstractions have been rendered unsuitable for use without additional treatment as a result of an intrusion. |
Tests 2a (diffuse sources) and 2b (point sources): Presence or absence of adverse impacts on associated surface water bodies 1
Trigger for applying test | Criteria for poor groundwater chemical status |
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Failure of a groundwater threshold value indicative of a potential adverse impact on associated surface waters; or a standard for 'good' is failed in an associated surface body and there is reason to suspect that inputs of pollutants via groundwater are contributing to the failure | (a) an applicable chemical or physicochemical standard for 'good' is failed in an associated surface water body and the concentration in the surface body of the pollutant concerned resulting solely from inputs via groundwater represents = 50 % of the value of the surface water standard. |
1Note on Tests 2a and 2b
Different threshold values apply as triggers for applying the test depending on whether the risk is posed by point source or diffuse source pollution.
Test 3: Presence or absence of adverse impacts on groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems (wetlands)
Trigger for applying test | Criteria for poor groundwater chemical status |
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Indications of significant damage to a wetland resulting from pollution where the source of pollution is suspected to be the groundwater | (a) there is evidence of significant damage to a wetland caused by pollution and the pollutants responsible for that damage are judged to have reached the wetland via groundwater. |
Test 4: Pass or failure of the groundwater drinking water protected areas
Trigger for applying test | Criteria for poor groundwater chemical status |
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Failure of a threshold value indicative of potential risks to abstractions for human consumption; Indications of a risk of failure of the drinking water protected area objective for the water body | (b) failure of the drinking water protected area objective for the body of groundwater as determined in accordance with Section 7 and Annex H. |
Test 5: General quality of the body in terms of whether its ability to support human uses has been significantly impaired by pollution
Trigger for applying test | Criteria for poor groundwater chemical status |
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Failure of a threshold value indicative of a potential risk to the general quality of the body | (a) The average of the monitoring results representative of the risk to the general quality of the groundwater in the body exceeds the threshold value |
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