The demand by the public and environmental organisations for cleaner rivers and lakes, groundwater and coastal beaches has made water protection one of the European Union’s work prioritites and has led to the development of the Directive. Its implementation will help to get polluted waters clean again, and should ensure clean waters are kept clean. In achieving these objectives, the roles of the public and related interest groups will be crucial.
The WFD is the first comprehensive piece of legislation which deals not only with the uses of water (such as drinking, industry, fishing and agriculture). It also addresses particular substances that pose a threat to water quality. Therefore, it brings together several, formerly fragmented, laws under one directive.
| Lakes and Rivers | • | Agencies and legislation | • | The Directive | • | River Basin Districts |
Ireland has more than 800 lakes and
rivers, over 400 estuaries and a coastline that stretches for over 7,500
km. If stretched out in a continuous line, the coastline would reach all
the way to Mongolia! Before road and rail, shipping was the main form of goods transport, which is why most of the big towns and cities in Ireland are located on the coast. With over half the population living within 10km of the coast it is an important area for strategic economic sectors such as industry, power generation, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism and agriculture.
Water quality in Ireland is generally good, with 70% of river channels in the Republic of Ireland reported to be unpolluted, by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in 2000, while the other 30% were polluted at some level. Eutrophication is one of the main pollution concerns. It arises from excess input of phosphorous and nitrates into watercourses. This can lead to the excessive production of algae and plankton, which prevents the use of water for human consumption, fishing, sports activities and alters the natural habitats in and surrounding the water bodies.
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Click here to view a map of the main rivers and lakes in the Republic of Ireland. |
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Eutrophication
is a natural process where water bodies, such as lakes and rivers,
become enriched with dissolved nutrients over a long time period. Human activities that result in agricultural run off, industrial effluents, leaking of septic systems, sewage discharge and urban run-off increase the speed of this process dramatically. The increased flow of nutrients promotes plant growth in some nutrient loving species, which outcompete species that depend on nutrient poor conditions, therefore changing the species composition in the aquatic ecosystem. An algal bloom can occur when algae plant growth becomes rapid. The algal carpet growing on the water surface shades other water plants by blocking the incoming sunlight. With the death of these water plants, habitats that provide food and shelter for fish, crab and shellfish are lost. Waterfowl feeding on these grasses are also affected. Algal blooms can lead to oxygen depletion when algae die off. Their decomposition uses up the dissolved oxygen that water organisms depend on for their survival. |
Agencies and Legislation Regarding Water
A large number of authorities and agencies are responsible for implementing legislation and regulations regarding water management and use across the island. A major benefit of the new Water Framework Directive is that it should ensure that disparate agencies work together to improve the quality of water. The Directive should also help to rationalise and make more effective the implementation of existing legislation and will also lead to the repeal of seven previous EU directives regarding water.
Agencies involved with water management (Rep. of Ireland): |
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•Environmental Protection Agency; •Local Authorities; •Marine Institute; •Department of Communications, Marine & Natural Resources; •Central Fisheries Board; •Non Governmental Organisations; •National Parks and Wildlife Service; •Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government; •Geological Survey of Ireland; •Department of Agriculture and Food; •Office of Public Works; •River Basin District Project Offices. |
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Agencies involved
with water management (Northern Ireland): |
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•Environment and Heritage Service (EHS); •Department of Environment NI (DOE;) •Department of Agriculture and Rural Development NI (DARD); •UK Government; •Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC); •Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA UK); •Non Governmental Organisations; •National Trust; •Ulster Wildlife Trust. |
| Key legislation concerning water (Rep. of Ireland): | |
| The Waterworks Clauses Act, 1847 | general prohibition on causing water pollution |
| Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1878 | Sanitation Authorities must provide and keep in their waterworks a supply of ‘pure and wholesome water’ |
| Harbours Act, 1946, Fishery Harbour Centres Acts, 1968 and 1980 | prohibits the putting of ballast, earth, ashes, etc. into harbour waters |
| Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act, 1948 | may take a sample of water for the purpose of analysis |
| Oil Pollution of the Sea Act, 1956, 1965, 1977, Civil Liability and Compensation Act, 1988 | prohibition on the discharge of oil anywhere at sea |
| Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959, Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1962, Fisheries Act, 1980 | offence to deposit deleterious matter in waters |
| Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, 1977 (No. 1 of 1977) Local Government (Water Pollution) (Amendment) Act, 1990, (No. 21 of 1990) | general prohibition on causing water pollution |
| Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 | provision of collecting systems and treatment standards and other requirements for urban waste water treatment plants |
| Foreshore Acts 1933 and 1992 | Minister for the Marine may grant a license |
| Waste Management Act 1996 | gives Local Authorities the power to require farmers to prepare a Nutrient Management Plan to limit the losses of nutrients (nitrates & phosphates) to waters |
| Phosphorous Regulations 1998 (S.I. No. 255 of 1998) | to prevent water pollution by phosphorous |
| Water Services Bill 2003 | to make provisions for water services supply, including water pricing and the polluter-pays principle as well as the responsibility of the water services authorities |
| European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003 | implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive |
| European Communities (Water Policy) (Amendment) Regulations, 2005 (S.I. No. 413 of 2005): | to establish River Basin District Advisory Councils |
| Key legislation concerning water (Northern Ireland): | |
| Water Environment (Water Framework Directive Regs) (NI) 2003 | implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive |
| Water (NI) Order 1999 | regulates control of toxic or harzardous material into water courses |
| Drainage (NI) Order 1973 | places duties on IDBs and DARD (in relation to fish protection) to ensure the conservation and enhancement of environmental values. |
| Harbour (NI) Act 1970,Harbour (NI) Order 2000 | relates to new port development and development within existing ports |
| UK Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971 | the primary source legislation for control of marine pollution from shipping. |
| UK Merchant Shipping and Prevention of Pollution Order 1983 | related to the control of marine pollution from shipping. |
| EU Water Related Directives : | |
| Directive 75/440/EEC and the Drinking Water Directive 98/83/EC | concerning the quality requirements of surface waters intended for the abstraction of drinking water in the Member States |
| Directive 76/160/EEC | concerning the quality of bathing water |
| Directive 76/464/EEC | on pollution caused by certain dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment |
| Directive 78/659/EEC | on the quality of fresh waters needing protection or improvement in order to support fish life |
| Directive 79/923/EEC | on the quality required for Shellfish Waters |
| Directive 79/869/EEC | concerning the methods of measurement and frequencies of sampling and analysis of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking waters |
| Directive 80/68/EEC | on the protection of groundwater against pollution caused by certain dangerous substances |
| Directive 80/778/EEC | on the quality of water intended for human consumption |
| Directive 91/676/EEC | concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources |
| Directive 91/271/EEC | concerning urban waste water treatment |
| Directive 2000/60/EC | the Water Framework Directive |
The Water Framework Directive
 Slaney River, County Wexford |
The Directive (WFD) was agreed by the European Union in September 2000 and came into force in December 2000. Its implementation is leading to a a complete reorganisation of structures and approaches to water management across Ireland and other EU member states.
The fundamental objective of the Water Framework Directive is to maintain a “high status” of waters where it already exists, preventing any deterioration in the existing status of waters and achieving at least “good status” in relation to all waters by 2015 in order to protect and enhance the status of aquatic ecosystems.
The standards are more stringent than the former regulations. They establish integrated monitoring and management systems. Public involvement is greatly encouraged by the EU and is crucial in getting and keeping the water clean.
Ecological protection of water
The Directive covers all aquatic systems from coast to canals, rivers to estuaries, and groundwater to lakes. Special habitats, drinking water areas and bathing water are the key areas addressed in the Directive, where a number of parameters are enforced. However ecological protection should apply to all waters and therefore the Directive establishes obligations regarding ecological, physical and chemical protection, which refer to “good ecological status” and “good chemical status”.
The “good ecological status” is defined in Annex V of the Directive, which addresses the quality of the biological community, the hydrological characteristics and the chemical characteristics. Standards set for the biological community cannot be fixed completely because ecological variability has to be considered. Therefore, controls are set that allow small differences that can occur under minimal human influence. Procedures to identify these controls, as well as systems interpreting these procedures for each EU member State consistently, have been put in place. In addition, the establishment of precise chemical and hydromorphological standards are provided.
The “good chemical status” refers to conformity with EU wide quality standards that are already recognized for chemical substances. Mechanisms within the Directive ensure that established standards can be updated and new standards can be added, which especially refer to dealing with hazardous chemicals in order to eliminate such dangerous substances from Irish waters.
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Click here to view bathing water quality at beaches in the Republic of Ireland. |
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water protection Groundwater pollution is addressed under the assumption that it should not be polluted at all. Chemical standards are only given for certain contaminants, such as nitrates, pesticides and biocides. Other parameters are not specified to avoid the assumption that there is an authorized level of pollution for groundwater. General protection of groundwater involves precautionary measures, such as prohibiting any direct discharges into groundwater and monitoring to detect changes in chemical composition and quality. |
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Transitional waters include
estuaries and bays such as Galway bay. |
Regarding the quantitative recharge of groundwater, good management requires that only the section of groundwater that is not required to support connected ecosystems can be extracted. Therefore, an integrated management framework for ground and surface water has been established for Europe. |
The Directive also aims to introduce water pricing in order to promote sustainable water use. In Ireland domestic water charges were suspended in 1997 by the local authorities; charges are only levied on water supplied to commercial premises.
Water charging to both private and commercial properties in Northern Ireland was due to commence in April 2006, with most households paying up to £415 per year. However due to vigorous public opposition, a government review of water charging procedures has caused a delay in their implementation.
Timetable
The Directive sets out deadlines for the requirements over a timetable of 27 years:
| Year | Issue | Reference |
| 2000 | Directive entered into force | Art. 25 |
| 2003 | Transposition in national legislation Identification of River Basin Districts and Authorities |
Art. 23D Art. 3D |
| 2004 | Characterisation of river basin: pressures, impacts and economic analysis | Art. 5 |
| 2006 | Establishment of monitoring network Start public consultation |
Art. 8 Art. 14D |
| 2008 | Present draft river basin management plan | Art. 13 |
| 2009 | Finalise river basin management plan including programme of measures | Art. 13 & 11 |
| 2010 | Introduce pricing policies | Art. 9 |
| 2012 | Make operational programmes of measures | Art. 11 |
| 2015 | Meet environmental objectives | Art. 4 |
| 2021 | First management cycle ends | Art. 4 & 13 |
| 2027 | Second managemend cycle ends, final deadline for meeting objectives | Art. 4 & 13 |
River Basin Districts
The Directive integrates water management into a single system according to natural geographical and hydrological units. These natural units for water management purposes are called river basins. They are defined as the area of land from which all-surface run-off flows through a sequence of streams, rivers and possibly lakes into the sea at a single river mouth, estuary or delta. The concept of River Basin District is based on the premise that natural features, such as watercourses, do not take into account political and administrative boundaries. Instead they are dependant on the characteristics of their particular hydrological catchment and its associated environmental conditions. To facilitate the implementation of the Directive the Island of Ireland has been divided into eight river basin districts. Five of these are in the Republic, one is in Northern Ireland and the other three are cross-border districts.
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Click here to view a map of the river basin districts. |
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SHANNON RIVER
BASIN DISTRICT MAP 
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Local authorities within each district are responsible
for developing River Basin Management Projects. These will identify
and implement effective measures for improved water management and
involve participation of all stakeholders. The projects should lead
to the development of a River Basin Management System that supports
the preparation of River Basin Management Plans which will help
maintain and achieve good water status for all waters. http://www.shannonrbd.com
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MIDA: to view the main rivers, main lakes, main river basins, river basin districts and coastal and transitional waters as supplied by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Water Framework Directive: The text of the Directive.
WFD Ireland: General information on the application of the Directive in Ireland.
WFD Newsletter: The European Commission publishes a regular newsletter on progress across the Union with implementation of the Directive.
SERB: Southeastern River Basin District web site.
Shannon RBD: Shannon River Basin District web site.
Western RBD: Western River Basin District web site.
ERBD: Eastern River Basin District web site.
SWRBD: Southwestern River Basin District web site.
North South Share: Portal giving access to the North Western, Neagh Bann and Northeastern river basin district web sites.
Irish Statutes: The text of all Republic of Ireland legislation since 1922.
Northern Irish Legislation: Access to Northern Ireland legislation.
Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland's Environment 2004, 2004 [site visited 04/07/2006].
European Commission, The Water Framework Directive, 2004 [site visited 04/07/2006].
University, of Melbourne, Marine Administration Country Templates, 2004 [site visited 04/07/2006].
WFD Ireland, [site visited 04/07/2006].