Water Framework Directive

Draft River Basin Management Plans

Details now available on dates and venues for the Public Consultation information sessions on the Draft River Basin Management Plans, Programmes of Measures, Strategic Environmental Assessments and associated Environmental Reports and Habitats Directive Assessments.  Click on tab below to find out more!      

» Public Consultation 

Implementing the Water Framework Directive across administrative boundaries, Local Authorities co-ordinate their approach to Catchment Management.  This approach is being piloted in the Boyne Upper Catchment (Eastern River Basin District).  Catchment management work in the Greese Catchment (South Eastern River Basin District), involving Kildare and Wicklow has also commenced.  For further details click on tab below. 

» Catchment Management

COUNTY KILDARE AND THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE

The EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC was transposed into Irish law through the European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations, 2003 (S.I. No. 722), as amended. The purpose of the Directive is to establish a framework for the protection of all waters (inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwaters) across Europe.

The Directive requires the preparation of management plans for all waters in an area called a River Basin District. There are eight River Basin Districts on the island of Ireland. County Kildare is located in the Eastern River Basin District (Boyne and Liffey Catchments) and the South Eastern River Basin District (Barrow Catchment). As part of the River Basin Management Plan there is an associated Programme of Measures which details the Measures to be taken in each waterbody in order to achieve compliance with the Directive.

Under the Directive, Member States must assess the quality of their water not only using biological ratings (Q Values) and Physiochemical ratings (Phosphorus, Nitrogen) but also to consider chemicals (heavy metals, dangerous substances), morphology (channelization, weirs) and hydrology (abstractions). A new classification system was developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the status (high, good, moderate, poor, bad) of each waterbody. The Directive requires that where High Status exists it is maintained, that no deterioration in status occurs and that all waters achieve at least Good Status by 2015.

In December 2006 the EPA established a network of monitoring sites throughout the country and used the data from the monitoring programme as part of the classification process. Each waterbody is assigned a status by the EPA in accordance with the classification system. The waterbody must achieve the required standard in all categories of the classification system in what is known as the one-out-all-out rule. For example, if one monitoring site in a waterbody fails to meet the required standard for morphology due to dredging or any other parameter in the classification system then the entire waterbody is designated as not achieving good status.

The stringent requirements of the status classification system result in many of Kildare's (and Ireland's) waterbodies being classified as less than good status. It should be noted that an improvement of status can be achieved through the full implementation of a Programme of Measures as outlined in the Draft River Basin Management Plans. In some waterbodies the Measures required are already in the process of being implemented and are expected to achieve the required improvement of status by 2015 (e.g. wastewater treatment plant upgrades). Therefore, in the case of Kildare, a minor improvement in water quality at identifiable locations could change the status classification in the entire waterbody.

A status classification of a waterbody of less than good has nothing to do with drinking water. Drinking water quality in Co. Kildare is consistantly good. The EPA audits Local Authority compliance with Legislation and reports that the quality of drinking water in Co. Kildare is good. The supplies are safe to drink and there is no risk to public health from the public drinking water supplies in Co. Kildare.

The River Basin Management Plan is developed in accordance with a Statutory timeframe. Publication of Draft River Basin Management Plan on 22nd December 2008 is followed by 6 months public consultation to 22nd June 2009. The making of the River Basin Management Plan by 16th October 2009 is a Reserved Function. The Plans must be published by 22nd December 2009. They are then implemented over a six-year cycle 2010-2015.   

Draft River Basin Management Plans for the Eastern and the South Eastern River Basin Districts were published on 22 December 2008 for a minimum statutory Public Consultation period of 6 months to 22nd June 2009. You are invited and encouraged to comment on these Plans and associated Programmes of Measures.

If you have comments on the Draft River Basin Management Plan for the Eastern River Basin District you can email comments@erbd.ie or write to:

River Basin Management Plan Comments, Project Co-ordinator, Eastern River Basin Project Office, Dublin City Council, 68-70 Marrowbone Lane, 3rd Floor Dublin 8.

For comments on the Draft River Basin Management Plan for the South Eastern River Basin District you can email rspain@carlowcoco.ie or write to:

Mr. Ray Spain, Project Co-ordinator, South Eastern River Basin Project Office, Carlow County Council, Athy Road, Carlow.

For more information please contact the Environment Section on 045-980588 or email environ@kildarecoco.ie referencing Water Framework in the subject line.

The Draft River Basin Management Plan, Programme of Measures, Strategic Environmental Assessment and associated Environmental Report and Habitats Directive Assessment are available from project websites www.erbd.ie and www.serbd.com along with details on how to make submissions during this 6 month public consultation period. The website www.wfdireland.ie contains information on the implementation of the Directive in Ireland.

Printed versions of the Draft River Basin Management Plans will be available in the following Libraries: Athy, Kildare, Newbridge, Naas, Leixlip and Maynooth; and the Planning and Environment Departments located in Head Office, Áras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Naas, Co Kildare. They are also available in the Teagasc offices in Friary Road, Naas and Rathstewart, Athy.

Useful links:

http://www.erbd.ie/
http://www.serbd.com/
http://www.wfdireland.ie/
http://www.environ.ie/
http://www.epa.ie/
http://www.europa.eu/