Water Quality Surveys

Water quality is one of our core areas of expertise. Our environmental consultants regularly perform routine and investigative water quality assessments. We have extensive knowledge and experience in compliance monitoring for construction sites, industrial facilities, roads and wastewater treatment plants.

We have particular expertise in relation to water quality management on wind farm construction sites including sites discharging into freshwater pearl mussel catchments, and also wastewater discharge licensing for waste water treatment plants. We take an integrated approach to water quality assessments, combining chemical, biological and toxicological assessments.

Water quality services we provide include river, lake, canal, estuary and inshore marine water quality determinations, consent to discharge applications, and surface water discharge analysis. We are experts in the use of biological indicators to assess water quality, and undertake aquatic ecological, microbiological and ecotoxicological assessments as part of our integrated approach.

We provide a full suite of EPA approved laboratory analysis utilising specialist laboratories with INAB, MCERTS and UKAS accreditation.

Water quality assessments we undertake include parameters such as Temperature, pH, Salinity, Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Biological Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Colour, Turbidity, Alkalinity, Total Organic Carbon and Total Hardness. Nutrients such as Ammonium, Nitrate, Nitrite, Total Phosphate, Ortho-Phosphate are also assessed. We also assess metals including Iron, Cadmium, Chromium, Zinc, Lead, Magnesium, Copper, Boron, Aluminium, Nickel and Arsenic.

Other parameters we regularly assess include Pesticides, Hydrocarbons, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

We also provide a range of aquatic toxicity assessments using representative freshwater and marine organisms from different trophic levels including bacteria, algae, and macroinvertebrates and fish.

We provide a full interpretation of all water quality assessments we complete.

Our services include:

• Collection of discharge, effluent and background water quality samples;
• Field and laboratory analyses at accredited laboratories
• Interpretation of analyses results
• Clear reporting against consenting limits
• Advice on any compliance failures
• Quality improvement action plan

For further information also see our Environmental Monitoring page.

Also see our Sediment Quality Surveys page.