Tobin Consulting Engineers were appointed to prepare the detailed design and contract documents for the construction of a collection system and wastewater treatment facility for the village of Claregalway and for the procurement of an operations contractor to operate and maintain the works for a period of twenty years.
The objectives of the study were to:
– Carry out an extensive review of historical flooding events that occurred on the Clare River.
– Examine available hydrometric stations data within the Clare River catchment and estimate the 1% annual exceedance probability (AEP) flow.
– Carry out a site visit to determine river cross section locations.
– Develop a one dimensional steady state flow model of the river reach adjacent to the development sites including the bridge structure at Claregalway Village.
– Carry out calibration hydrology at the location of the hydrometric station by comparing the EPA Rating Curve and recorded historical flooding events against modelled results. Model calibration at the location of the proposed wastewater treatment plant site was carried out by comparing aerial photography and contour mapping, to verify the flood levels of the 2005 extreme flooding event, against modelled results.
– Identify the flood extent at locations along the river reach for the design flow of the 1% AEP.
– Test the sensitivity of the design against the effects of climate change.
