Client: ARUP/Irish Water
Arklow Breakwater, Co. Wicklow, photo by John Brophy
In 2016, BEC Consultants was contracted by ARUP/Irish Water to carry out a marine ecological survey in relation to the proposed Arklow Sewerage Scheme. This long-awaited piece of waste water infrastructure included a sea outfall to the north of the Avoca Estuary and works within the estuary itself. The survey consisted of a subtidal benthic macroinvertebrate survey using a Day grab deployed from a survey boat and an intertidal walkover survey. A desktop study was also undertaken to collect ecological baseline information.
A total of 13 stations were sampled for macroinvertebrates and sediment, both within the Avoca River estuary and outside. The benthic communities present within the study area were identified using statistical analysis. The resultant report was incorporated into the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the project.
This project was granted planning permission in 2019.