Hydrogeological technical services for the Lough Carra LIFE project 2023-2024

Tender description

The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications seeks the provision of Hydrogeological technical services to Geological Survey Ireland for the 'Lough Carra LIFE Project' from April 2023 to December 2024 (inclusive). Geological Survey Ireland is a division of the Minister's Department. Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) is a ‘Coordinating Beneficiary’ partner in the EU funded LIFE Lough Carra project (LIFE20 NAT/IE/000172). Geological Survey Ireland’s Groundwater & Geothermal Unit (GGU) is coordinating ‘Action A2’ within the project, comprising a comprehensive hydrogeological investigation of the catchment. Lough Carra is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the source of a drinking water supply. It is currently contaminated, which is affecting the drinking water quality as well as its ecological status. The aim of LIFE Lough Carra Action A2 is to further understand and delineate the groundwater catchment and specific contamination pathways to Lough Carra. This will inform appropriate land use measures in a later part of the project to reduce the contamination that is currently reaching Lough Carra. The overall Lough Carra LIFE project is for a defined 5-year period with a start date of October 2021. GSI’s contributing role is limited to the first 3 years of this period. To complete this work, Geological Survey Ireland will need external hydrogeological services over the period (Q1 2023 – Q4 2024) to deliver the following outputs: • Tracer maps of the Lough Carra catchment; • Conceptual model reports; • Karst feature map; • Groundwater level map; and • Final hydrogeological investigation report. There is the possibility that the contract may need to be extended into Q1 2025.