« WATER QUALITY & EU POLICY » KATHERINE-JOANNE HARALAMBOUS NTUA Professor

1. «WATER QUALITY & EU POLICY»KATHERINE-JOANNE HARALAMBOUSNTUA Professor NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Unit of Environmental Science and Technology Workshop on “Water Resources Management: Needs & Prospects” Amman, 22/04/2013

2. Declining water quality has become a global issue of concern. Poor water quality threatens the health of people threatens ecosystems that support human health, food production, and biodiversity has an impact on the quantity of water has many economic costs associated with it

3. What is water quality? water quality relates to the composition of water as affected by natural processes and human activities depends on water’s chemical, biological, physical and radiological condition Typically, the term water quality is made relative to a specific use of water it is measured in terms of constituent concentrations which are then compared to water quality standards based on scientifically assessed levels of toxicity to either humans or aquatic ecosystems

4. Human activities: principle cause of deteriorating water quality • Industrial production • Energy production • Agricultural production • Mining • Waste disposal are the principle cause of deteriorating water quality. In addition • urbanization, • population growth • economic instability • climate change create new threats of safe water availability

5. Issues associated with changes in water quality parameters nutrient enrichment (eutrophication) erosion and sedimentation acidification salinization, thermal pollution pathogenic contamination trace metal pollution (Hg,Pb,Cd, As etc.) contamination with human produced organics (pesticides, dioxins, furans, PCB’s). emerging contaminants (endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals) emerging pathogens and invasive species present new threats for water quality and freshwater ecosystems

6. United Nations Environment Programme(calls attention on water quality challenges and solutions) As it is pointed out in the UNEP report “Clearing the Waters” there are three fundamental solutions to water quality problems: (1) prevent pollution (2) treat polluted water (3) restore ecosystems Effective solutions to water quality challenges exist and have been implemented in a number of places.

7. European Union Water legislationprotecting the quality of Europe’s water resources has been a high priority. The first “generation” (mid 75-90’s) Directives focused on setting quality standards for surface waters used to provide drinking water, bathing water, fish waters, shellfish waters, ground water and water for human consumption. The second “generation” of EU legislation focused on the sources of pollution and on pollution control as a means of achieving quality standards.

8. Second “generation” of EU Directives Directive on Urban Wastewater Treatment Nitrates Directive (a new) Directive for Drinking Water Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)

9. Urban Waste Water Directive (91/271/EEC) Aims to reduce the pollution offreshwater, estuarine and coastalwaters by domestic sewage andindustrial waste water The Directiveconcerns the collection, treatment anddischarge of urban waste water andthe treatment and discharge of wastewater from certain industrial sectors Requires that Member States are responsible for monitoring both discharges from treatment plants and the receiving waters The Directive also requires Member States to draw up lists of sensitive and less sensitive areas which receive the treated waters

10. Nitrates Directive (91/271/EEC) Aims to reduce water pollution by nitrate from agricultural sources and to prevent such pollution occurring in the future. It requires Member States to identify polluted or threatened waters (those with high levels of nitrates), to designate vulnerable zones that contribute to nitrate pollution which are to be subject to Action Programmes to reduce pollution, and to establish a voluntary code of good agricultural practice to be adopted by farmers. The Directive requires national monitoring and reporting every four years on nitrates concentrations and eutrophication.

11. Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) sets microbiological, chemical and organoleptic quality standards for drinking water quality at the tap A total of 48 microbiological and chemical parameters must be monitored and tested regularly (These are based on World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines) It obliges Member States to regular monitoring of drinking water quality and to provide to consumers adequate and up-to-date information on their drinking water quality

12. The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC)96/61/EC aims to minimize pollution from large industrial installations through an environmental permitting system. Permits are based on the concept of BATs - Emission limits values and operating conditions are based on BATs Exchange of information on BATs between the EU MS, industry and environmental organizations →adoption and publication by the Commission of BREF’s The Directive provides for setting up of a European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER→ E-PRTR) The successor of the IPPC Directive is the Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU)

13. New approach to improving and protecting water quality for humans and ecosystems At the turn of the 21st century in order to address environmental degradation, growing human water demands and climate change, the EU passed innovative integrated legislation based not on national or political boundaries but on geographical and hydrological formations and reformed water policy for Member States. In 2000 the EU adopted the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) which establishes a legal framework to protect and restore clean waters across Europe and ensure its long term sustainable use.

14. Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) Requires that all inland, estuarial and coastal waters must reach at least “good” status by 2015 30 criteria for assessing the status and include consideration of: biological quality (presence or absence of various algae, plants, fish and invertebrates)  physical and chemical quality (oxygenation and nutrient conditions; environmental quality standards for levels of specific pollutants hydromorphological quality (quantity and dynamics of water flow, river continuity)

15. Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) The WFD encompasses three key principles: ecology (all water bodies must reach “good” ecological status by 2015); governance (new water management authorities were created at the river basin scale and were charged with more participatory decision making) economy (water suppliers should aim for full cost recovery and begin economic analyses to charge the “true cost” of water by 2010)

16. WFD: establishes an innovative approach for water management water management based on river basins international districts for river basins that cover the territory of more than one Member State and for coordination of work in these districts. the Common Implementation Strategy (2001) which aimed to harmonize and facilitate the implementation process (information sharing, guidance on technical issues, information and data management, application, testing and validation).

17. Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) The river basin management begins with an analysis of the characteristics of the river basin district, a review of the impact of human activity on water status, and an economic analysis of water use. River basin authorities are responsible for setting up monitoring programmes, along with programmes of measures for each river basin district in order to achieve “good” status, and inscribing these in a river basin management plan (RBMR). A key element of this process is public information and consultation.

18. Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) Finally, the specific programmes of measures must be implemented so as to achieve the objective of good status for all waters within each river basin. RBMPs must be developed and reviewed on a six yearly basis, specifying the actions required within each period to achieve set environmental quality objectives by certain milestone dates: 2015, 2021 and 2027. On the basis of the economic analysis, carried out for each river basin, water pricing policies established that provide adequate incentives for efficient use of water and that ensure adequate contribution of different water uses (household, industrial, agricultural) to recovery of costs for water services.

19. The timetable for implementing the Water Framework Directive 2000: Directive entered into force 2001: Common Implementation Strategy published 2003: Deadline for transposition in national law- Identification of River Basin Districts and Authorities 2004: Analysis of natural characteristics, economic analysis ,register areas of special protection 2006: Establishment of monitoring network 2008: Draft river basin management plan to be presented 2009: River basin management plan ,progamme of measures to be finalized 2009-15: Implementation of programmes of measures 2010: Pricing policies to be introduced 2015: Environmental objectives to be met 2021: Second management cycle ends 2027: Third management cycle ends, final deadline for meeting objectives

20. EU water legislation Four directives remain in place with the WFD: the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (911/271/EEC) the Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) The WFD coordinates the measures outlined in these directives which aim at specific pollution problems: where implementation of these directives does not result in the river basin achieving the status required by the WFD, the Member State must “identify exactly why, and design whatever additional measures are needed to satisfy all the objectives established

21. EU water legislation The WFD is backed up by: REACH regulation on chemicals (attributes greater responsibility to chemical companies to ensure that chemicals do not pose a risk to human or environmental health) IPPC Directive for Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control for industrial installations Complimentary Directives adopted: the GroundwaterDirective (2006/118/EC ) on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration Environmental Quality Standards Directive (2008/105/EC) which implements good water status for surface waters by setting harmonized quality standards for a list of 33 priority substances

22. Results & Conclusions The main aim of EU water policy is to ensure sufficient quantity of good quality water for peoples need and for the environment European Union efforts to protect Europe’s water has produced positive outcomes but more has to be done. 6000 towns and cities (among them Brussels) across Europe is failing EU water quality standards. Europe needs to redouble efforts to improve the quality of water in many countries.

23. Key elements of EU legislation: useful tools to global water quality challenges A strong integrated ecosystem‑based policy framework (is an essential first step in effectively regulating water quality) Effective administrative units (planning at the right geographical scale-river basin) A “combined approach” of emission limit values and water quality standards Pollution prevention and pollution controlmeasures (Wastewater - Nitrates, REACH, IPPC) Water quality monitoring/ assessment and reporting (cornerstones of an effective effort to improve water quality). Cooperation, communication and coordination (managing of transboundary waters – cooperation among stakeholders) Public Participation ( public support and involvement is crucial to identify problems and find appropriate measures) Economic tools to support, maintain, and enforce water quality (user pay’s, polluter pay’s principle).

24. Thank you! It is most important to communicate every effort on protecting and improving the quality of freshwater resources.