1 What the WFD will mean for local authorities November 2007

1

What the WFD will mean for local authorities

November 2007

2

Contents

Timetable

Guidance on RBMP

WQ classification & proposed EQS’s

POMS studies

How the Plan might affect LA’s.

3

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 (SI 722, 2003 to be amended )

4

CIS 2010 Reporting Sheets

• RBMP CIS reporting sheets (final draft) – May 2007

• Agreed in principle by Water Directors – Dresden June 2007

• RBMP 1 - Summary description of river basin management plan

• POM 1 - Summary of steps and measures taken to meet the requirements of Article 11

• SWM 3 - Results of surface water monitoring programmes (status of surface water bodies)• SWO 1 - System for classification for surface waters• SWO 2 - Use of exemptions in surface waters

• GWM 2 - Results of groundwater monitoring programmes (status of groundwater bodies)• GWO 1 - Classification systems established for groundwaters• GWO 2 - Use of exemptions in groundwaters

• Reporting sheets define general reporting content

• Detailed description and specifications will be part of technical implementation (shemas – due mid-2008)

5

Under Article 4(3) of the Water Policy Regulations, 2003 the Minister for the

Environment, Heritage and Local Government may issue guidance and general

policy directions in relation to the implementation of the Regulations

Who is the guidance directed at?• The guidance is particularly directed at local authorities, EPA and other public authorities

with the aim of providing practical steps to be taken to work towards effective delivery of the objectives in a co-ordinated way within individual river basin districts.

• In particular the steps needed to be taken by local authorities, EPA and other public authorities to align the objectives of regional guidance, county development plans (and their constituent Local Area Plans), Water Services Strategic Plans, other pollution reduction and/or control programmes (e.g. forestry programmes, farm inspections, review of IPPC licenses etc) with the stated objectives of river basin management plans are outlined.

RBMP - A Practical Guide for Public Authorities

6

Local authority roles

• producing the River Basin Plan,

• securing the implementation of measures such as the provision of adequate wastewater infrastructure,

• checking compliance with the Nitrates Action Programme,

• reviewing and revising discharge licences under the Water Pollution Act (1977) to take account of the EQS contained within the surface water classification regulations (SI XX, 2007),

• realigning planning policy in line with water policy within the provisions of the Planning and Development Act (2000).

RBMP - A Practical Guide for Public Authorities

7

River Basin Management 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

8

Min Objective

ECOLOGICAL

STATUS

HIGH

GOOD

MODERATE

POOR

BAD

Quality

Standards Slight

No or

minimal

Moderate

Major

Bad

Status Classification

Good Status = Good ecological status & good chemical status

9

Status Classification

10

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

Status Classification – Environmental Quality Standards

Conditions Parameter Rivers Lakes Transitional Coastal

Thermal Temperature

DO

BOD

Acid pH

Ammonium

DIN

MRP

Total Phosphorus Nutrient

Ireland

Oxygen

11

Status Classification – Environmental Quality Standards

Proposed standards for 11 Specific Relevant Pollutants in the ROI:• Chromium Cypermethrin• 2,4-D Diazinon• Dimethoate Linuron• Mecoprop Phenol• Glyphosate Mancozeb• Monochlorobenzene

Retain SI 12 of 2001 standards for 7 Specific Relevant Pollutants:• Arsenic Copper• Cyanide Fluoride• Toluene Xylenes• Zinc

12




Default Objectives



Which pressures ?





Set Objectives


Implement

Review performance







13

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

14

Programme of measures

Focussed supplementary measures where basic

measures not enough

Other prescribed

basic measures e.g. New controls on dangerous

substance discharges, abstractions and physical modifications


Bathing Water Directive(76/160/EEC)

Birds Directive(79/409/EEC);

Drinking Water Directive

Major Accidents (Seveso) Directive

Environmental Impact Assessment Directive

Sewage Sludge Directive

Urban Waste-water Treatment Directive

Plant Protection Products Directive

Nitrates Directive

Habitats Directive

The Integrated Pollution Prevention Control Directive

15

These plans are to be reviewed/realigned to ensure default objectives are delivered

• Section 4 & 16 discharge licences (Water Pollution Act, Local authorities) – to reflect Surface Water Classification Regulations, 2007

• IPPC licensing (EPA) – to reflect Surface Water Classification Regulations, 2007• Forestry Regulations (Forest service) and Forestry Action Plans• County Development Plans – modified to address issue of one-off housing and septic

tanks. The planning code will be critical to safeguarding protecting areas and preventing deterioration. Potential use of safeguard zones for DWPAs

• The WFD prescribes a number of additional new regulations such as controls on dangerous substances, abstractions and physical modifications, which will contribute further towards full achievement of objectives.

• Provision is also made for additional voluntary supplementary measures (e.g. fiscal instrument, rehabilitation projects)

• Such measures will be limited and will likely be focused on sensitive/protected areas (where confidence is high that additional measures will deliver objectives)


16


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 ?

17

RBMP - Template

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

18

Water Matters – Help Us Plan!

• The style and contents of the draft plan will follow from the contents of the SWMI booklet “Water Matters – Have your Say”, so that members of the public will be familiar with the messages and issues discussed.

• The template for the draft plan will set out the proposed contents of the published draft plan, a reporting tool and a series of background documents which will be available electronically fulfilling the Annex 7 and 2010 reporting sheet requirements.

• The main focus of the draft plan will be on the programme of measures to address each of the basin’s water management issues; how these programmes have been prioritised and where exemptions have been made.

• An electronic webtool will allow the public to visualise a waterbody and see which measures apply, what its status and objectives are, etc.

• Background documents will address the detailed requirements of responding to the 2010, 2005 sheets & WISE reporting.

RBMP - Template

19

Water Matters – Help Us Plan!

• The draft plan will take on board DEHLG Planning guidance (in prep.) and any other relevant guidance or input from UK TAG members’ guidance, SWMI reports or templates.

• Any weaknesses or significant gaps identified in the current suite of SWMI consultation exercises will also be highlighted in the draft plan.

• Key stakeholders will be consulted about how to deliver the plan’s messages.

• The template will be agreed by the NS WFD Co-ordination group by December 2007.

• Ideally, professionally edited, generic text for one international basin would be provided (around 60 pages in length) which would be available for other basins to customise.

• The NS WFD Co-ordination group will be responsible for technical document sign off (proposed May 2008). NI ministerial and advisory council sign off processes will follow (publication December 2008).

RBMP - Template

20


Default objectives

Economic & technical feasibility criteria

Project VisionEconomic profiles RBD Plan

Report Visualiser

WISE Data & Reporting Information

LIMS/LabinfoMonitoring data

Status ToolWB Status

GISRegister of Protected Areas

GISWBs / Pressure layers etc

EMS Progress Tracker

GIS (15 POMS Studies)Revised Risk Assessments

15 POMS StudiesBasic & supplementary measures

15 POMS StudiesPrioritisation process RBD Review

& Consultations

POM for each WB

Exemptions for each WB

21

Plan Reporting Tool

22

Plan Reporting Tool• 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

23




Default Objectives



Which pressures ?





Set Objectives


Implement

Review performance







24

Local Authority Actions

25

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

26

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.

27

Thank You!

www.serbd.com

Documents

1 What the WFD will mean for local authorities November 2007