CLIENT:
Cork City Council
PROJECT NAME: REPORT TITLE:
Cork City Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy
SEA Environmental Report
4.9 Water The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/60/EC) establishes a framework for the protection of both surface and groundwater. Transposing legislation outlines the water protection and water management measures required in Ireland to maintain high status of waters where it exists and to prevent any deterioration in existing water status. The second cycle of the River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) ran from 2018-2021, where separate plans were devised for all eight River Basin Districts (RBDs) with the objective of achieving at least ‘good’ status for all waters by 2027. The third cycle of the River Basin Management Plan is currently in the process of being prepared. Water quality data is collected by the EPA 51 . The city is located mainly within the Lee River and Cork City Harbour catchments. The Celtic Sea lies on the west of the city’s coastline. The WFD status of coastal water bodies (2016- 2021) for Cork City Harbour is of moderate status and the Celtic Sea is identified as being of high status. The EU Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EC) uses a holistic approach to groundwater by addressing the relationships between groundwater, surface water and ecological receptors. Groundwater is considered by its ecological status, which is based on two assessments: chemical and quantitative status. Both of these need to be in good condition for the overall water body to be classified as good . The WFD groundwater status (2016-2021) underlying Cork City is generally identified as being of good status. The WFD status of rivers and streams (2016-2021) draining Cork City ranges from good (sections of rivers and streams, including Moneygurney and Lee to moderate (sections of rivers and streams including: Curragheen) and to poor (sections of rivers and streams including: Bride and Glasheen). Pressures on waterbodies that are failing to meet the WFD’s overall objective of ‘good’ status will be identified by the SEA and policy responses will be recommended as necessary. The SEA will also provide information on aquifer vulnerability, aquifer productivity and entries to the WFD’s Registers of Protected Areas. Certain areas across the city are at risk of flooding from various sources including groundwater, pluvial, fluvial, estuarial and coastal. Cork City is located on the south coast of Ireland, and some of the Strategy boundary is subject to flood risk from the Celtic Sea. There are various historic and predictive indicators of flood risk in the city, including along the Lee River and at various locations along the coastline. The OPW is the lead agency tasked with the management of flood risk in the Republic of Ireland. In 2022, the OPW reviewed their 2016 Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMP). The purpose of each FRMP is to outline the long-term strategy to manage flood risk in Ireland. A number of settlements were identified by the OPW in 2012 as requiring detailed assessment of flood risk (Areas for Further Assessment) 52 . These settlements include – Cork City, Douglas, Togher, Glanmire and Tower. A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, as required by 'The Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines for Planning Authorities' (Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Office of Public Works, 2009) and Circular PL 2/2014 (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government), was undertaken alongside the preparation of the City Development Plan. This document provides information of relevance to provisions of EV charging infrastructure outlined in the Strategy, including information on land use zoning, flood risk management policy and flood risk indicators in the city.
51 EPA Maps. Water. 52 Available online at Microsoft Word - PFRA Main Report - Rev D.doc.
www.fehilytimoney.ie
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