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What happens next?

November 2007

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Contents

WFD timetable & consultations

The River Basin Management Planning Process

Applying classification

Making the Programme of Measures

The draft River Basin Management Plan

How the Plan might affect LA’s.

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ID Task Name

1 Competent Authorities / RBDs (Article 3)

2 Characterisation (Article 5)

3 Classifications systems (Article 8)

4 Programme of Monitoring (Article 8)

5 RBMP work programme (Article 14)

6 Monitoring operational (Article 8)

7 Overview of significant issues (Article 14)

8 Draft RBMP (Article 14)

9 Environmental Objectives (Article 4)

10 Programmes of Measures (Article 11)

11 Published RBMP (Article 13)

12 Water Pricing Policy

H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H12001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

WFD Timetable

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Water Matters – Have Your Say!

• Formal consultation period finishes in December 2007

• A digest of all responses will be produced by spring 2008

• The submissions will help to identify – any issues that the booklet missed

– comments about the issues in the SE waters (geographical problems)

– consensus on the proposed measures for each topic

– this will shape how the actions are applied in the SE river basin district

• Consultation inputs will be incorporated into the draft plan (Dec 08)

• Further consultations on the draft plan will shape the final plan (Dec 09)

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The River Basin Management Planning Process

Monitor water bodies

Classify their “status”

Default Objectives

This is a complex process !

What objectives apply ?

Which pressures ?

What are key risk factors ?

What are technical options ?

What are the most cost effective measures ?

What is a realistic timeframe for implementation ?

Set Objectives

Programmes of Measures

Implement

Review performance

Prevent deterioration

Maintain high status

Protected area objectives

Most stringent applies !

Restoration to at least good status by 2015

Source: Dr C Byrne DEHLG

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Applying Classification

Min Objective

ECOLOGICAL

STATUS

HIGH

GOOD

MODERATE

POOR

BAD

Quality

Standards Slight

No or

minimal

Moderate

Major

Bad

Good Status = Good ecological status & good chemical status

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Applying Classification

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Element Parameters River Lake Transit. MarinePhytoplankton Composition, abundance and biomass Y Y Y

Macrophytes Composition and abundance of aquatic flora Y Y Y Y

Invertebrates Composition and abundance of benthic fauna Y Y Y Y

Fish Composition, abundance and age structure Y Y Y

Applying Classification

Conditions Parameter Rivers Lakes Transitional Coastal

Thermal Temperature

DO

BOD

Acid pH

Ammonium

DIN

MRP

Total Phosphorus Nutrient

Ireland

Oxygen

Proposed standards for 18 Specific Relevant Pollutants

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Making the Programme of measuresSchedule of POMS Studies & Lead RBDs

Leading RBD

Measures & Standards Study Name

WRBD 1. On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems

2. Forest and Water

High status sites

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

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Focussed supplementary measures where basic

measures not enough

Other prescribed

basic measures e.g. New controls on dangerous

substance discharges, abstractions and physical modifications

Source: Dr C Byrne DEHLG

The Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC);

The Birds Directive (79/409/EEC);

The Drinking Water Directive (80/778/EEC) as amended by Directive (98/83/EC);

The Major Accidents (Seveso) Directive (96/82/EC);

The Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (85/337/EEC);

The Sewage Sludge Directive (86/278/EEC);

The Urban Waste-water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC);

The Plant Protection Products Directive (91/414/EEC);

The Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC);

The Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) ;

The Integrated Pollution Prevention Control Directive (96/61/EC).

Making the Programme of measures

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Paramount - Protected areas and protection of

good/high status waters must be addressed.

Thereafter, critical factors should be taken into

account in prioritising waterbodies for restoration

under the various programmes and plans;• The current status of water body (Distance to

target)• Critical risk factors (e.g. current scale of

pressure, performance of wastewater treatment facilities, pollution pathway factors such as surface water run-off risk, groundwater vulnerability)

• The predicted trend in pressures causing failure by 2015

• The technical challenge of implementing the necessary work on the ground in time for 2015.

• Costs ?

Making the Programme of measures

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The draft River Basin Management Plan

2010 report to Minister & commissionMarch 2010

Agencies“publish”

RBD draft Plan December 2008RBD final PlanAugust 2009

RBD Consultants

& Agencies

Background Information (POMS, class etc)December 2008

RBD Consultants

& Agencies

Plan Report Tool

Dec 08/Aug 09

WISEInformationMarch 2010

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The draft RBM Plan Reporting Tool

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• TYPOLOGY – text eg an upland river in an alkaline area etc• PROTECTED STATUS – Reg of Protected Area tick list table (citation text?)• MONITORING SITES – table of sites within the waterbody with co-ords, code,

programme (S/O/I), list of status elements measured & who monitors• STATUS – table of overall WFD status and sub elements (Annex 5) - eg rivers

biology, morph, hydro, phys-chem and overall chemical, date status calculated– should a history be presented or is 2007 baseline to be added to?– should full chemical status be presented or a summary listing failures?

• DEFAULT OBJECTIVES – table stating default objective and recording any modifications (ie exemption or revised timescales)

• POMS – tick list table (based on simplified 2010 format) – SWMI topic and key measures themes for each (eg WWTP/CSO upgrade, industrial

license review, landfill study, SSRS/farm survey, septic tank restrictions, forestry restrictions, dang subs monitoring, abstraction license, reduction programme, morph restoration action, planning restrictions, aliens)

– Also need the by who and when

The draft RBM Plan Reporting Tool

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Local Authority Actions

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Local Authority Actions

MIR - New national licensing system for WWTS & licence reviews • LAs will be required to obtain licenses for treatment plants, secure WSIP resources for

upgrades and undertake review of all Section 4 and 16 industry discharge licenses and undertake enforcement regarding the industrial licences

Other Points - Controls adequate. Compliance + enforcement critical• LAs will be required to complete registration and risk assessment of these facilities, where

necessary secure resources for remedial measures and to undertake enforcement activities

Agriculture - NAP adequate. But review in 2009. Sensitive areas• LAs will be required to undertake SSRS investigations in at risk/impacted catchments to

assess NAP compliance, with follow-up farm surveys and where necessary to undertake pollution enforcement activities

Septic Tanks - Guidance. Identify high risk areas + modify development plans• LAs will be required to align land use policy, secure resources for sewering priority areas and

where necessary to undertake pollution enforcement activities

Forestry - Guidance. Prohibit afforestation in high risk areas• LAs will be required to align land use policy and where necessary to undertake pollution

enforcement activities

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Local Authority ActionsDangerous Substance - New water quality standards + inclusion in discharge licences• As MIR - LAs will be required to undertake review of all Section 4 and 16 industry discharge licenses

and undertake enforcement regarding the industrial licences – further LA activities are likely to become licensed in future for example CSO’s weed spraying etc

Morphology - New national registration & licensing system + guidance• Likely lead role to EPA however LAs may be required to undertake licensing of small activities,

include morphology considerations in the planning approvals processes and in priority areas secure resources for restoration measures, LAs may also be required to apply for morphology licenses for their own schemes

Abstractions - New national registration & licensing system + guidance• Likely lead role to EPA however LAs may be required to undertake licensing of small activities and

apply for abstraction licenses for major schemes

Protected areas – Enforcement of Plans and where necessary land use control• LAs will be required to align land use policy and where necessary to assess development

applications in designated catchments

Additional activities • Educational awareness programmes – in support of all significant issues• Response to the local issues eg alien species as identified in the SWMI.

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Thank You!

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