Significant Water Management
Issues (SWMI) Report
South Eastern RBDAC
Dec 2006
SWMI – What is it?
• Public information and consultation report to
encourage active involvement of all interested
parties in the Water Framework Directive
• Article 14 – interim overview of the significant
water management issues in the river basin,
made available for public and users comment,
2 years before the beginning of the river basin
management plan
• A “local” document
SWMI - What is it?
• SWMI = Significant Water Management Issues
 Significant Water Issues

Management Issues
• How to identify priorities and focus efforts for the first
river basin management plan?
Significant Water Issues
• Significant water issues:
– Article 5 analysis
– OSPAR nutrient quantification
– National reports
– Historical catchment plans & water quality reports
– P Reg plans etc
– Compendium of responses/stakeholder responses
– Expert review
– RBD groups (3 issues & good practice examples?)
Significant Water Issues
POMS – National Issues
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
Management Issues
• Management issues:
– What management tools are already in place?
– Where are the management gaps?
– What are the solutions?
SWMI Template
Length
between 30 and 40 pages
How many issues
9 or 10
Language
Plain English (non technical)
Use of question and answer format to aid input
Style
Well illustrated
Hardcopy vs electronic
Hard copy - alternative formats & translations
SWMI Template
Ownership of the Report
RoI RBD lead authorities - POMS CG - NTCG
Consultation link to RBDAC
RBD report vs National report
RBD report gives local ownership & leads to draft plan
• 8 RBD reports – full harmonisation
However as the main RoI POMS studies are national:
• Much of the content is generic
• Each project will input to every SWMI
Requires close co-ordination
SWMI Template
Chapter Headings
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Assessment of Pressures and Impacts
3.0 Significant Water Management Issues
4.0 Measures
5.0 Next Steps and Conclusions
Timescale
• publish 22 June 2007
SWMI Template
1.0
Introduction
Introduction to the WFD
• What is the WFD?
• What are its objectives?
• What is status?
• When must the objectives be achieved?
• Who is responsible for implementing the WFD?
• How is this being done?
• What has NI/Ireland done so far?
• What is NI/Ireland doing now? (further characterisation/surveys)
• What will NI/Ireland do next?
• How is NI/Ireland co-operating with neighbouring Member States?
Introduction to the River Basin District
• The (SE/Shannon/SW/We/Ea/Neagh Bann/NWNE) RBDs vital statistics
• RBD Protected areas
• Why a SWMI report?
• How can the public get involved and make a difference?
SWMI Template
2.0
Assessment of Pressures and Impacts
• What pressures and impacts have been assessed
• Abstractions
• Physical changes (morphology)
• Point
• Diffuse
• Others
• How have significant issues been identified?
• What are NI/Ireland’s most significant issues? (analysis by RBD)
• Groundwaters/Rivers & lakes/Transitional & coastal waters
• Does the RBD have any special significant issues? (analysis by RB or
hydrometric area with RBDAC input)
3.0
SWMI Template
Significant Water Management Issues
(what is the issue, what new data, what new results, any future trends)
Ireland (POMS)
Abstractions
Morphology
Freshwater Morphology
Marine Morphology
Point Sources
Industrial & Municipal Discharges (Dang Subs)
CSOs?
Quarries, mines landfills & contaminated land
Diffuse Sources
Agriculture (Diffuse Mobile Organics)
On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems
Forest and Water
Urban Areas
RBD issues (eg peatlands)
Other issues
Northern Ireland (FCA)
Abstractions and Flow Regulations
Morphology
Freshwater activities
Marine activities
Point source discharges (Dang Subs)
SIMCAT
Diffuse losses (screening tool)
Agriculture
Septic tanks
Forestry
Urban areas
Transport networks?
RBD issues (how to identify?)
Other issues
SWMI Template
4.0
Measures
• What are measures?
• What existing NI/Irish measures support the WFD?
• How can new NI/Irish measures be put in place?
• SWMI – what measures are needed and who will be involved?
(for each SWMI describe existing measures, gaps requiring future measures
(national or local) and identify responsible parties and sectors)
• Summary RBD programme of measures and responsible parties
SWMI Template
5.0
Next Steps and Conclusions
• Setting WFD Objectives
• What are the WFD objectives?
• What are alternative objectives?
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–
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Extended deadlines
Temporary deterioration in status
New modifications and new sustainable development activities
Designation as Heavily Modified & Artificial Water Bodies
Less stringent objectives
• The Role of Further Economic Characterisation – (scenarios?)
• When will alternative objectives apply? (indicative list of sites?)
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Future characterisation work
RIA
SEA
Conclusions
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Summary
Gap and live issues
The draft First River Basin Management Plan
Future planning cycles
Consultations
SWMI Group Discussion
Three discussion groups (1, 2, 3, 4 & 5)
Kilkenny CoCo rep to record agreed issues for feedback session
Water Issues
What issues are the most significant?
What do you see as the main causes of these problems?
Management Issues
What are the management gaps?
Is there ownership of local problems?
What activities might help to deliver improvements?
Other Input from Stakeholders
Identify good practice examples in the SERBD?
SWMI RBDAC Discussion
Water Issues
• Planning and landuse change
• Agriculture & changes (eg biofuels)
• Point discharges – WWTP, WTP, industries, landfills,
mines & quarries
• Dumping
• Rural housing/septic tanks
• Climate change (flooding & droughts)
• Weirs & boats movements
• Alien species/biodiversity
• Abstractions – protection of sources/water shortages
• Domestic behaviour – consumption & product usage
• Road & urban drainage & loss of flood plains
SWMI RBDAC Discussion
Management Issues
• Joined up development control – plan & upgrade
before development
• Lack of resources
• Economics – charging
• Lack of ownership of the problems
• Education & awareness campaigns
• Enforcement – use of power
• Support for NGO initiatives
• Nitrates Regs
• Riparian zone protection
• Water harvesting & alternative treatments
SWMI RBDAC Discussion
Other Input from Stakeholders
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Several litter picking initiatives
Barrow floodplains
Quarry silt ponds (not increased)
Fair trade advertising
SUDS schemes on new developments
Constructed wetlands