Presentation to Presentation to

South Eastern River Basin District Advisory Council South Eastern River Basin District Advisory Council

Lisa SheilsLisa Sheils

Project CoordinatorProject Coordinator

28th April 200628th April 2006

The Water Framework Directive

Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament

and of the Council of 23 October 2000

• Establishes a framework for community action on water policy

• Rationalises and updates existing legislation

• Introduces river basin management planning

USGS (1998)USGS (1998)

GroundwatGroundwaterer

Transitional Transitional & coastal & coastal

waterswaters

Surface Surface freshwatersfreshwaters

Overall objective of WFD

• achieve at least “good status” of all waters by 2015

• maintain “high status” of waters where it exists

• prevent any deterioration in existing status of waters

Waters = surface waters + groundwater

Surface waters = rivers, lakes, transitional & coastal waters also canals & reservoirs

Good Status = Good ecological status & good chemical status

ECOLOGICAL

STATUS

HIGH

GOOD

MODERATE

POOR

BAD

WFD Min Objective

WFD – Implementation Timetable

Year Deadlines/ outputs WFD Ref.

2000 Directive entered into force Art. 25

2003 WFD becomes law in individual EU countries

The River Basin Districts and Authorities are decided

Art. 24

Art. 3

2004/’05 Characterisation completed: including pressures, impacts and economic analysis Art. 5

2006 Monitoring networks are established for River Basin Districts

Latest possible start of public consultation

Art. 8

Art. 14

2008 Draft river basin management plans are published Art. 13

2009 Finalise river basin management plan (incl. the measures necessary to achieve them) Art. 13 & 11

2010 Introduce pricing policies for water use Art. 9

2012 Implement a programme of management measures aimed at achieving good status by 2015 Art. 11

2015 Ensure that the river basin management plans have delivered the required environmental objectives

Art. 4

2021 First round of water management work ends Art. 4 & 13

2027 Second round of management work ends. This is the final deadline for meeting WFD objectives

Art. 4 & 13

National Legislation

EC (Water Policy) Regulations & Amendments

S.I. No. 722 of 2003

S.I. No. 413 of 2005 • Co-ordination of actions by all relevant public authorities

• Responsibilities: EPA, Lead LA, Relevant Public Authorities

• Characterisation of each RBD

• Development of a Programme Of Measures to achieve WFD objectives

• Development and adoption of RBMP in each RBD and review every 6 years

8 RBDs

Schedule 1 - relevant public authorities

· the Environmental Protection Agency · the relevant local authorities· the regional authorities in the area · the regional fisheries boards in the area· the Geological Survey of Ireland· Teagasc · the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland· the Marine Institute· the Central Fisheries Board· the Electricity Supply Board· Waterways Ireland· Tourism Ireland· the Heritage Council· the Health and Safety Authority· the Local Government Computer Services Board· the Commissioners of Public Works· the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment · the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources· the Minister for Agriculture and Food

SERBD

The South Eastern River Basin District (SERBD)

•Established in 2002: first project established for the implementation of the WFD

•Original project - 4 years (to April ’06)

•Extension proposal to December 2008 submitted to

-allign project with those in other RBDs-to achieve delivery of RBMP

•Extension proposal- approved in principle by DEHLG

•Cost of approx 11 million euro.

River Basin DistrictAdvisory Council

13 LAs

Carlow CoCo Lead LA

Participatinglocal authorities

ContractorEG Pettit

+ RPS

Co-ordinator

River Basin Management Group+SERBD Network GroupProject Steering

Group

South Eastern River Basin District project

GIS Manager &Monitoring Team

Project Tasks

• Task 1 – Background Information – Policy & Legislation

• Task 2 – Characterisation of SERBD (Article 5 of WFD)

• Task 3 – Develop River Basin Management System– Monitoring System– Computerised mapping system (GIS)– Programme of Measures– Public Awareness & Consultations– Environmental Management System (EMS)

• Task 4 – Implement River Basin Management System

• Task 5 – Prepare River Basin Management Strategy

Initial Characterisation• Data collection - physical characteristics, water quality, pressures etc• Data management included the development of GIS• Foundation for the Article 5 Risk Assessment Characterisation report

Article 5 Characterisation•Process applied finalised risk assessment methodologies developed Nationally.

•Ireland’s Article 5 Characterisation Report (April, 2005) is available at www.wfdireland.ie

What did Article 5 characterisation involve?

Characterisation of SERBD

Water Bodies & Risk Assessment• “Waterbodies”: the management units for Article 5 Characterisation & the WFD

No. No. in 5 Water Category Nationally SERBD

– River Water Bodies: 4468 655– Lake water Bodies: 745 11– Transitional (Estuarine) Water Bodies: 196 21– Coastal Water Bodies: 113 9– Ground Water Bodies: 758 151

• For each WB, an analysis of pressures and impacts was required: “Risk Assessment”• an assessment of the degree of risk placed on water bodies by human activities• “Risk” means the risk that a water body will not achieve “good” status by 2015• 4 – category risk classification scheme was adopted:

2bWater Body not at risk

and available information

is comprehensive and / or conclusive

2aWater Body

Probably not at riskbut

available informationcould be improved

1bWater Body

Probably at risk

1aWater Body

at risk

What pressures were examined?

Pressure/Activity Main Features

Water abstraction and flow regulation

Surface water abstraction

Presence of major impoundments

Morphological alterations Channelisation & Dredging

Flood Protection & Embankments

Impounding (dams)

Water regulation (locks & weirs)

Intensive Land Use (urbanisation, peat extraction, arable & forestry)

Point source pollution Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges

Integrated pollution prevention & control (IPPC) industry discharges

Local Authority Licensed (Section 4) industry discharges

Combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges

Water Treatment Works (WTP) discharges

Diffuse source pollution General diffuse – urban, grassland and arable areas

Transport – road drainage (soluble copper, zinc, total hydrocarbons)

Transport – railways

Forestry – acidification, suspended solids, eutrophication

Unsewered areas

Priority substances – arable, sheep dip, forestry

Impact River biological survey & supporting physico-chemical data

Protected species impact data

Other assessments (Shadow) Alien species

Protected area compliance

Risk category Groundwater bodies % (by number)

(1a) At risk Main pressures

5%Diffuse source pollutionPoint source pollution

(1b) Probably at riskMain pressures

56%Diffuse source pollutionPoint source pollution

(1a+1b) Total at risk 61%

(2a) Probably not at risk 23%

(2b) Not at risk 16%

Groundwaters

61% WB at risk

Article 5 Characterisation: Risk Assessment Results

Risk category River water bodies % (by number)

(1a) At risk Main pressures

29%Diffuse source pollution

Morphological alterations

(1b) Probably at riskMain pressures

35%Morphological alterationsDiffuse source pollution

(1a+1b) Total at risk 64%

(2a) Probably not at risk 20%

(2b) Not at risk 16%

Rivers

64% WB at risk

Article 5 Characterisation: Risk Assessment Results

Risk category Lake water bodies % (by number)

(1a) At risk Main pressures

18%Abstractions

Diffuse pollution

(1b) Probably at riskMain pressures

20%Abstractions

Diffuse source pollution

(1a+1b) Total at risk 38%

(2a) Probably not at risk 13%

(2b) Not at risk 49%

Lakes

38% WB at risk

Article 5 Characterisation: Risk Assessment Results

Risk category Transitional water bodies % (by number)

(1a) At risk Main pressures

30%Morphological alterations

Pollution impacts

(1b) Probably at riskMain pressures

23%Morphological alterations

Pollution impacts

(1a+1b) Total at risk 53%

(2a) Probably not at risk 20%

(2b) Not at risk 27%

Transitional

53% WB at risk

Article 5 Characterisation: Risk Assessment Results

Risk category Coastal water bodies % (by number)

(1a) At risk Main pressures

12%Morphological alterations

Pollution impacts

(1b) Probably at riskMain pressures

15%Morphological alterations

Pollution impacts

(1a+1b) Total at risk 27%

(2a) Probably not at risk 31%

(2b) Not at risk 42%

Coastal

27% WB at risk

Article 5 Characterisation: Risk Assessment Results

Status May 2005

Where do we stand now ?WFD Implementation (May 2005)

Access to data through a map

interface, or through data base queries

Ready access to help on front page, and

throughout site

Simple map interface with basic map navigation tools

Simple step by step instructions

User selects feature of interest; selection shows on map and in

box.

Once a feature is selected, click on ‘Create Report’ button.

Report appears in new window as a PDF document.

So What Happens Next?

Water Policy Regulations Schedule

Date Requirement

22-06-06 Classification Systems:

Monitoring Programme: shall publish a copy of the programme & a summary

Timetable & work programme for the production of the RBMP also required by this date

22-12-06 Monitoring programmes shall be operational

22-06-07 Significant Water Management Issues (SWMI) Report shall be published.

22-06-08

Draft POM &Draft RBMP shall be published.

22-06-09 Final POM shall be established/come into effectFinal RBMP published

Programme priorities– Surveillance

long term trends - range of status conditionsall quality elements have to be recorded (therefore costly)

– Operational record responses due to measures - sites experiencing pressurestargeted quality elements (but perhaps more frequently)

– Investigative unpredicted water quality problems or pollution eventstargeted quality elements

Water Policy Regulation Timescales– June 2006 publish monitoring programmes– December 2006 programmes become operational

WFD Monitoring

WFD Monitoring

WFD Monitoring

• 71 Chemical Status Monitoring points • 64 Quantitative/level points

Groundwaters

• 17 Surface Water sites

• 4 Eastern RBD

• 6 South Eastern RBD

• 4 Shannon RBD

• 2 South Western RBD

• 1 Western RBD

• 4 Groundwater sites• 3 South Eastern RBD

• 1 Shannon

• WWTP Site – Eastern RBD

• Landfill Site – Eastern RBD

Dangerous Substances Screening Monitoring Programme

Programme Of Measures (POM)• POM: main element of the RBMP • National POM Co-ordination Group (PCG) formed to oversee development of POM• Priority pressure areas were agreed- study specifications for each topic approved• Responsibility for studies divided amongst RBD projects. • Each study will deliver to the Significant Water Management Issues report in 2007 and the draft River Basin

Management Plan in 2008. Each will include consultation with stakeholders.

Schedule of Approved Studies & Lead RBDs

Leading RBD

Measures & Standards Study Name

WRBD 1. On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems

2. Forest and Water

ShRBD *3. Freshwater Morphology

SERBD 4. Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards

SWRBD 5. Industrial & Municipal Regulation

*6. Dangerous Substances

7. Marine Morphology

*8. Heavily Modified Water Bodies & Artificial Water Bodies

*9. Water Balance Model for Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards

ERBD 10. Abstraction Pressures

11. Groundwater Risk from Diffuse Mobile Organics

12. Urban Pressures in rivers, transitional and ground waters

13. Further Economic Characterisation

PoMS

SERBD: Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards

4. SERBD: Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards

Primary Study Objective•to support the EPA in establishing Ireland’s environmental quality standards (EQSs) for selected supporting elements, in relevant water categories, by June 2006

Study Steering Committee•Chair: EPA•SERBD Project Co-ordinator (Representing Carlow Co.Co)•Nominees from DEHLG, NPWS(DEHLG), Marine Institute (DCMNR)

New information to be collated (sources) or generated (i.e. deliverables)?•Benchmarking, Data Collection & Literature Review:

other Member States, existing standards, Intercalibration Programme, expert input

•Identification of Phase 1 List:for which standards are necessary and feasible by 2006

PoMS

SERBD: Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards

(...new Information, continued.)

•Water balance Model: separate POMS Study establishing flow proportion from groundwaters

•Standards Compilation, Analysis and Trial Application Category and type specific, water phase only, ecological status boundaries for each pollutant

•Standards and Tool Delivery

Fieldwork element?No. This is a desk study but will involve input from studies with a field element, such as the National Dangerous Substances Screening Programme.

Study to be undertaken with application across all RBDs?

Standards set by this POMS study will have National application.

Public Information & Consultation

Cornerstone of WFD_ Article 14 Advisory Council - 2006 Consultation on

Characterisation Report.2004-2005 Monitoring Programme Significant Water Management Issues (SWMI)-2007 River Basin Management Plans 2008-2009

Public Awareness Campaign SERBD & National Publications

eg DVD, NewsSheet etc

RBD Advisory Councils

Article 16 of S.I. No. 722 of 2003, amended by S.I. No. 413 of 2005DEHLG Circular WQ 03/05 2005

RBDAC -Terms of Reference : “to consider matters relating to the preparation of river basin management plans (RBMP) and other matters relevant to the protection and use of the aquatic environment and water resources in the district and to advise and make recommendations on these matters to the relevant public authorities.”

SERBD Advisory Council ≈ 45 members2 from each LA - elected member or sectoral representative = 266 from AMAI 13 from representative pillars/sectors

Public Participation

• Policy & Legislation report

• Initial characterisation Report

• SERBD Leaflet 2004

• News sheet 2005 : non technical summary of Article 5 Char

• SERBD Characterisation Technical Summary Report

• DVD

• Also, other topic reports

• Available on SERBD website- public downloads page

www.serbd.com

SERBD project

Directive entered into force

2000

2002

2004

Publish overview of significant water management issues

2007

Publish RBMP

2009

Source: P. Duggan (DEHLG)Source: P. Duggan (DEHLG)

Identify location and boundaries of RBDs

Designate competent authorities

Make administrative provisions

Monitoring programmes operational

Programme of measures

Publish timetable for RBMP

Identify location and boundaries of surface waters and groundwaters

Identify types of water bodies

Analysis of pressures and impacts

Characterisation of surface water and groundwater bodies

Economic analysis of water use

Register of protected areas2008

Publish draft RBMP

2006

The Water Framework Directive Programme

2005

Thank You