tNCEA Wetland Monitoring Dipwell Installations - 2025/26

Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) is a science innovation and transformation programme, which spans across land and water environments. It has been set up to collect data on the extent, condition and change over time of England's ecosystems and natural capital, and the benefits to society.

The new national programme includes a proposed wetland monitoring network comprising statistically selected Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) that are groundwater dependent. Desk-based assessments and field based ecological and water feature surveys have been undertaken on priority sites to identify key water features and plant communities. In addition, site-specific monitoring plans have been developed for each site with the purpose of collecting long-term data on groundwater quality and quantity. The Environment Agency is now seeking a contractor to: • confirm the ground conditions at the selected sites, and • install monitoring points for the purpose of collecting long-term water level and quality data.

The appointed contractor must have demonstrable experience with hand auger methods, installing robust groundwater level and quality monitoring assets, and soil logging to British Standard 5930. The contractor must also demonstrate a commitment to working responsibly and with care, ensuring no damage to the sensitive features of the SSSIs. Knowledge of wetland habitats, hydrogeology and ecohydrology is advantageous.