Towards Setting Guideline Values For The Protection Of Ground Water In Ireland Interim Report

Executive Summary

This document presents proposals for the setting of environmental quality objectives and standards for groundwaters through the use of ‘guideline values’. A separate document is considered necessary for groundwaters because the issues involved in the setting of environmental quality objectives and standards for groundwaters are quite different to those that arise in the setting of environmental quality objectives and standards for surface waters. This is because groundwaters, in their pristine condition, can vary considerably from one groundwater body to another due to the influence exerted by the particular geology of the area within which the body exists.