Planning Further Info: strange water test request.

RedRag

Hi,

I have applied for planning permission in Co. Wicklow. A few weeks back I received a request for further information.
There were 4 items, 3 of which seemed to be reasonable requests. The fourth however seems very strange to me.
My site is located beside my parents house. I need to move their septic tank because it is currently in the middle of my site.
The application includes details of this move.
I have been requested to get my parents drinking water tested, I queried this and was told it was because we were moving septic tanks etc they wanted to make sure there was no contamination in their well.

However their well is at least 150 metres from my site, its located near a farm and supplies the water to both the farm and my parents house.
I have received the water tests and as I expected the water is not fit for human consumption, due to I think its proximity to an actual farm yard.
We have done everything they have asked for and my engineer is sending the info in next week, he hadn't heard of such a request before and is a little unsure as to what the result of the test may have on my result.

Anyway I suppose my query is, why should I test my parents water for my application. If the neighbouring house was not infact my parents house and a stranger owned it would I be paying to test a strangers water?
Also what outcome do you believe this may have (water being unfit for human consumption) on the decision for my planning?


Also I forgot to mention, I am not tapping into my parents well, I will hope to be drilling my own well.

Mazotasan

Don't quite have the answers for you but I reckon testing the water now and then after moving the septic tank would show if there was any impact on moving the septic tank or installing your own.

"Anyway I suppose my query is, why should I test my parents water for my application. If the neighbouring house was not infact my parents house and a stranger owned it would I be paying to test a strangers water?" I reckon you still would if there was a possibility you were going to be affecting their water quality.

"Also what outcome do you believe this may have (water being unfit for human consumption) on the decision for my planning?" I just bored a well last week and have been talking to a few well drillers over the last few weeks and have heard a few stories...One possibility would that depending on the result of the test the council may add another condition to your application stipulating that you install a water treatment plant with filters x, y and z etc

This whole area of well drilling and wells is unregulated currently but I think its only a matter of time before changes arrive. I found I think on the Irish geological associations website they have some guidelines laid out in relation to well drilling. I have seen a well bored below a septic tank because a diviner said that was the only place they're would be water onsite!...For a commodity that we use on a daily basis and depend so much on I'd take care sorting this out.

Jimbo

It looks like the council just took the oppurtunity to order the water to be tested on the basis that you were making changes to your parents septic tank.

It look like they were right to do so.

If the water is unfit for human consumption, it's obviously in your parents interests to bore a new well. You should have proposed to the council to bore a new well subject to your planning being granted.

They may well put it as a condition of your planning.

RedRag

Thanks for the replies guys, i may well mention to the engineer to say that my folks will drill a new well when/if I get permission.
Regarding the water, we have suspected the water was somewhat contaminated for a few years now due to the fact its beside a farm yard. I have been drinking it my whole life and have a fairly strong immune system which I put down to drinking this water, be it safe or not.

I think the council request was the kick we needed to get a test done, but still feel its a strange request because of distance of well from their septic tank.

Thanks again.

Poor Uncle Tom

The hugely worrying aspect here is if the groundwater is contaminated, and not just well leeching occuring. Groundwater contamination can be from any number of items but is most certainly aided by the structure of the underlying ground.

The farm could be the cause of the contamination, your parents septic tank could be the cause, some other leeching to bedrock uphill could be the cause or it could be an unknown. One thing is for sure the longer the contamination has been going on the more widespread it is likely to be.

If you imagine the sourse of contamination like a fountain pen left to rest nib down on a sheet of blotting paper. The stain will radiate out and will continue to do so as long as there is ink available. Similarly, if you suspect that the water in the well has been contaminated for a number of years then it is likely the groundwater contamination is widespread and not likely that you will find a clean source anywhere nearby.

If, on the otherhand, the contamination of the well is by direct leeching into the bore from a nearby source, say the farm or septic tank, then it is possible to plug the well, remove and contain the leeching source. Then you could re-position the well locations and hopefully get good clean new sources.

The LA are likely to have the consumers best interests in mind while considering your application given a result showing water contamination. Unless all precautions are taken and until the contamination source is removed and suitable safe replacements identified, your planning application will most likely be found to be premature and opposed to the provisions of the CDP and would most likely be refused, imo.

Carlow52

RedRag wrote: »

Hi,

I have applied for planning permission in Co. Wicklow. A few weeks back I received a request for further information.
There were 4 items, 3 of which seemed to be reasonable requests. The fourth however seems very strange to me.
My site is located beside my parents house. I need to move their septic tank because it is currently in the middle of my site.
The application includes details of this move.
I have been requested to get my parents drinking water tested, I queried this and was told it was because we were moving septic tanks etc they wanted to make sure there was no contamination in their well.

However their well is at least 150 metres from my site, its located near a farm and supplies the water to both the farm and my parents house.
I have received the water tests and as I expected the water is not fit for human consumption, due to I think its proximity to an actual farm yard.
We have done everything they have asked for and my engineer is sending the info in next week, he hadn't heard of such a request before and is a little unsure as to what the result of the test may have on my result.

Anyway I suppose my query is, why should I test my parents water for my application. If the neighbouring house was not infact my parents house and a stranger owned it would I be paying to test a strangers water?
Also what outcome do you believe this may have (water being unfit for human consumption) on the decision for my planning?


Also I forgot to mention, I am not tapping into my parents well, I will hope to be drilling my own well.

Just to get this clear, your parents drinking water is not fit for human consumption

If that is that case what how do they treat it?

sky6

Hi,

The first question you should be addressing is your parents contamination problem. They may need to get a Water treatment system.

The Council are only exercising a Duty of Care and should be commended for this. You are also very lucky that in moving the Septic Tank that they are not insisting on replacing it with a Treatment Plant ( Cost about 6th Euro.) As most Councils won't allow concrete Septic tanks now.

You should speak to the Council and make it clear to them that you intend to Drill a new Bore Hole and will provide a Water Test and new Water supply to your Parents House.
It is possible that the same contaminant will be present in the new Well. But not always. I'd like to hear how you get on.

RedRag

Just to let you know, the water specimen was contaminated with ecoli and coliforms. The water tester has told me that we can treat the well and retest. They also said the farm yard is the most likely source of the contanimation.

We did actually proposed a treatment unit to replace my parents septic tank. Info going back into council this week so hopefully have a result on this matter in 4 weeks. I'll let you know what happens.

And yes we will be looking into treating the well in the very near future.

Thanks for the replies and opinions.

Carlow52

Treating the well may not solve the problem.

As mentioned here by more knowledgeable folks the relevant water table/catchment area/aquifer could be measured in kms