River Basin Management Plan Workshop

1. Draft River Basin Management Plan WorkshopProgrammes of Measures December 2008

2. Focussed supplementary measures where basic measures not enough Other prescribed basic measures e.g. New controls on dangerous substance discharges, abstractions and physical modifications Implementing measures to achieve objectives 11 EU Directives Source: Dr C Byrne DEHLG

3. Basic Measures11 Key DirectiveOther Basic Measures

4. Implementing measures to achieve objectives Basic Measures – 11 Existing EU Directives Implementation of these directives is already legally binding under National Regulation and must be complied with in full: • The Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC); • The Habitats Directive (92/43/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 Integrated Pollution Prevention Control Directive (96/61/EC). • Competent authorities must ensure that these Directives are being implemented to full effect, maximising their contribution to achieving the objectives established in the river basin management plans • This will require the assessment and, where appropriate, the revision of their respective implementing plans and programmes

5. Basic Measures

6. Basic Measures

7. Implementing measures to achieve objectives Basic Measures – new controls • Practical steps and measures taken to apply the principle of recovery of costs for water use and measures to promote efficient and sustainable water use • National Water Pricing Policy Framework • water conservation programmes • Measures taken to protect drinking water sources • safeguard zones under consideration • Controls on abstraction and impoundment • abstraction licensing under consideration • Controls on point source and diffuse source discharges • point source control adequate (Wastewater Discharge Regs) • diffuse source (obligations under Water Services Act) • shellfish pollution reduction plans

8. Implementing measures to achieve objectives Basic Measures – new controls • Authorisations of direct discharges to groundwater • groundwater regulations • groundwater pollution reduction plans • Measures to deal with priority substances • transposition into water quality standards • surface water pollution reduction plans • Controls on physical modifications to surface waters • licensing regime under consideration • Controls on other activities with an impact on the status of water • alien species issues, wildlife Regs controlling introduction • Measures taken to prevent or reduce the impact of accidental pollution • emergency planning, flood planning

9. Basic Measures Effectiveness

10. Basic Measures Effectiveness

11. Alternative Supplementary Measures

12. Implementing measures to achieve objectives Supplementary Measures • Where ‘basic measures’ will not achieve objectives, supplementary measures need to be identified and considered. • Supplementary measures will be identified by Local Authorities and implemented at local level (river basin district or water body level) • Supplementary measures have been investigated (through the RBD Projects) for dealing with specific pressures and will recommend the most technically feasible and cost effective combinations to focus resources for maximum benefit

13. Alternative Supplementary Measures • Agriculture proposed supplementary measures subject to NAP review • Reducing agricultural pollutant losses by creating buffer strips, fencing to prevent livestock access to watercourses, setting aside agricultural lands, reducing agricultural intensity or requiring nutrient management planning • Remediation by targeted farmyard management system upgrades or rural environmental protection schemes, requiring stricter storage or closed periods than the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations • Relocation by using digestors in areas of nutrient surplus or tankering in areas of nutrient surplus.

14. Alternative Supplementary Measures • Abstractions • Reducing abstraction pressures by: • reducing water demand: water conservation, rainwater harvesting, reducing leakage, distribute demand, water metering/charging, restrictions on development • increasing the water available: promoting runoff reduction (SuDS); reuse of grey water or treated wastewater effluent. • Remediation schemes in priority areas including considering reducing current abstractions by; altered abstraction timing, conjunctive use, additional storage • Relocation by considering alternative sources.

15. Alternative Supplementary Measures • Morphology • Reducing morphological pressures on freshwaters and marine waters by establishing a sustainable code of practice for physical modifications to surface waters that minimises the impact on status and supporting existing voluntary initiatives such as wetlands and Integrated Coastal Zone Management schemes • Remediation of impacted waters by allowing surface waters to re-naturalise or by implementing enhancement works to address damage due to river channelisation, impassable barriers or over-grazing • Relocation options are considered under a separate set of tests applied to heavily modified waters

16. Total number of waterbodies at risk reduced from 1048 to 580

19. Additional Supplementary Measures • Research • Characterisation of effluents and leachates • Establishing natural background levels in waters • Establishing links between ecology and morphology • Establishing links between ecology and abstractions including flow requirementsto support fish • Ecological potential investigations • Chemical sources investigations • Education Campaigns • National awareness campaign • Dangerous substances awareness / labelling etc • Morphology awareness of pressures.

20. Programmes of Measures • Municipal & Industrial Regulations – SWRBD • Forestry – WRBD • Unsewered Properties – WRBD

21. Exemptions/Alternative Objectives • Heavily Modified & Artificial Waters • Alternative objective – maximum or good ecological potential • New modifications or development • Only sustainable developments for over-riding social and economic benefits • None identified in the draft plan • Restoring Status Timescales • Deadline for good status extended by one or two cycles (2021, 2027) • Less Stringent Objective • Natural recovery – for example agricultural lands • Allow time for investigations – for example chemical pollution sources • Technical reasons – no known solution • Economic reasons – not applied in draft plan – likely mines, contaminated lands

22. HMWB & AWB • 4 HMWB in the SERBD: • Rosslare Harbour: due to the port & related activities at Rosslare Europort. • Measures – minimise the suspension of silt in water column during dredging campaigns. • New Ross Port - due to the port & related activities in immediate area & ship channel • Measures – implement measures to minimise silt suspension during dredging. Remove any obsolete structures with hydromorphological impacts. Examine breakwaters – can they be re-engineered them to reduce hydromorphological impacts? • Lower Suir Estuary - due to the port & related activities at Belview • Measures – examine groynes near Cheekpoint- they restrict flow but is this a negative hydromorphological impact in this water body? Identify any opportunities for re-engineering if this would mitigate impact. • River Breagagh – due to modified bed • Measures – SRFP propose the introduction of gravels to fill in spaces in gabion bed. The current situation should be re-examined to identify if a better strategy could be implemented.

23. HMWB & AWB 8 AWBs in the SERBD: 7 canal AWBs: Grand Canal Main Line (SERBD) E of Lowtown Grand Canal Main Line (SERBD) W of Lowtown Grand Canal Milltown Feeder & Old Barrow Line Grand Canal Barrow Line Cahore Canal Castlebridge Canal Barrow Navigation 1 Reservoir AWB Ballynafagh Reservoir:

24. Exemptions – extended deadlines Timescale dictated by the slowest response to measures

25. Plan Visualisation Tool