Due for completion in 2033, the HS2 (High Speed 2) rail network is one of the largest and most complex civil engineering projects in the UK.
The C2-C3 section of the HS2 alignment spans just under 50 miles (80 km). This assignment, for our clients EKFB / HS2, showcases our groundwater and surface water monitoring capabilities. The scale and complexity of monitoring across this section involved many surface and subterranean points, with various weekly and monthly tests including water level monitoring, multiparameter field readings, water quality sampling, 270 groundwater monitoring locations, 120 surface water monitoring locations, and 160 discharge locations (attenuation ponds or discharge points)
In addition to regular visits, WJ installed automatic sondes in boreholes and stilling wells to provide real-time data, accessible via bespoke online dashboards. We partnered with Five Rivers for additional aquatic ecology monitoring, including surveys to detect macroinvertebrates, macrophytes hytobenthos, fish communities, and spot flow gauging.
Up to six teams, each with a qualified environmental monitoring technician and a supervisory technician, are working full-time across the length and width of the project. The project required significant investment to ensure staff safety and to procure data in isolated locations, navigating hazards and risks.
Field data was collated quickly using Smartsheet and Webforms platforms, allowing real-time access for key stakeholders. Our notification system alerted operatives if pre-assigned trigger values were breached.
Our in-house monitoring dashboard provided a cloud-based ‘real-time’ portal for clients to access data from water-level sondes installed across the C2-C3 alignment.
This project is due for completion in 2027 and has demonstrated WJ’s capabilities as an ideal partner for groundwater control and environmental monitoring projects. For this project, additional training was provided for WJ staff and it included SSSTS training, FAW training, British off-road and 4×4 driving, and Rescue 3 (DEFRA Level 2) swift water and flood first responder training.
WJ Groundwater has completed similar groundwater management projects in the UK and globally. Click on the links below to learn more about what we do.
Are you ready to see what else our vision can bring to your projects? Why not speak to our team of groundwater experts today?
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