A senior representative from Amec Foster Wheeler was explaining all about the water at Aggregate Industries' Public Exhibition yesterday. He was explaining how there was a chance, a small chance in his view, 1 in 20 if pushed to put a number on it, that people currently relying on springs and wells for their drinking water would suffer subsequent problems with their supply if AI's quarry plans were to go ahead.
There were some interesting drawings. But don't believe everything you have read on those boards.
When Amec tells you that "Groundwater levels within the BSPB formations have been monitored since 2013 at 13 piezometer (borehole) locations", that's not strictly true, because two of those were only drilled this year. And look how few piezometers are actually within the site that AI wants to quarry.
And those precise looking contours? Hand drawn contours that "represent just two of the many possible interpretations of the data which themselves are based on an incomplete parameterization of the detailed groundwater dynamics of the site".
Amec will now be putting together a new set of water reports to say why AI no longer needs to leave a 1 metre buffer above the maximum winter water table to protect water supplies.
It had previously based all its conclusions on the assumption that:
Conclusions such as:
There's more on the subject here: Smoke and mirrors, When you scrutinise the actual data... and The importance of leaving 1 metre...
Amec is now being paid to tell a different story.
