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Stephen BarryUpdate on the Water Framework Directive

Stephen Barry, Environment, Health and Safety Supervisor,

Environment Division,6th September 2016

Water Framework Directive (WFD)

WFD Aims protect/enhance all surface, ground and

coastal waters

achieve "good status" for waters by December 2021 for a number of rivers

manage water bodies based on river basins

involve the public

streamline legislation

Targets

Projected cost of measures

Projected cost of measures by Water Type - National

Projected cost of Measures by Sector -National

Water Framework Directive (WFD)

4 main strategies

Classification

Characterisation Process

Monitoring

River Basin Management Plans

Water Framework Directive

Fingals Rivers

• Of Fingals 23 rivers:17 are classified as risk3 are classified under

review• Pressures include– Sewage treatment– Urban Runoff– Fertiliser Application– Erosion of river banks– Abstraction

What are Fingal Doing

• Improving water infrastructure

• Septic tank inspections• Agriculture inspections• Licencing and

inspections• Surface water

monitoring

Surface Water Monitoring• Operational (Statutory) &

routine monitoring(Non-Statutory) data is available since 2010.

• Monitoring data includes 8 pollutants.

• Assessment of baseline concentrations, current and seasonal trends.

• Identification of pressures using land use data.

Annual Trends

• Why is Phosphorus important?

• Phosphate Sources

• Annual trend across all of Fingal catchment.

• WFD limit2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

0.16

Average Phosphorus (mg/L)

ConcentrationLimit

Frequency Analysis

0.01 0.035 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.5 1 50

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Phosphates 2015

Num

ber o

f Sam

ples

Compare baseline data to current data

Inter-annual Change

Seasonal Trend

Frequency

0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.50 1.00 10.00 50.000

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Summer Phosphates

mg/L

Num

ber o

f Sam

ples

Seasonal Trend

Seasonal Trend

Pressures

Pressures

Benefits of Analysis• Indicates if pollutant

concentrations are increasing or decreasing

• Provides insights into seasonal emission patterns

• Provides information on the spatial pattern of pollutant concentrations

• Land use characteristics can be examined to identify potential pressures

Meeting Obligations• Monitoring

• Licencing and Enforcement

Identification of substances that are present in the aquatic environment above their natural levels

Identification significant changes or trends that may be evident in water bodies over time

Identification of pressures placed on the aquatic system that may be

resultant of long or short term developments

Focused monitoring programs can help target the source of a pressure

Review of chemical monitoring data can also be used to determine the relative success of applied measures

Use to identifying diffuse, point and episodic pollutant sources

Can be used to inform licencing decisions (e.g. pollutant limits)

More targets enforcement (e.g. determine best investigative measures ranging from septic tank inspections misconnection investigations or agricultural inspections)

Inform on mitigation strategies• Informs on where to

target mitigation measures

• Types of measures to use Floating Treatment

wetlandsHedgerows? Improved water

treatmentEnforcementEducational Awareness

Conclusion• Analysis is an important step in

monitoring, enforcement and mitigation

• It can be used to identify sectors which are contributing most to water pollution and therefore inform on policy

• It can be used to assess the impact of the program of measures implemented under the WFD

• It can also be used to identify vulnerable areas within Fingal based on soil type and hydrology

• Resource & Staff efficiency