Shaping the Future of Water Services

1. Shaping the Future of Water Services Responding to Environmental Regulation Tom Stafford Environmental Regulation Manager Irish Water

2. Environmental Regulation Environmental Policy WFD Implementation SEA, EIA, AA Policy Research coordination Climate Change EU Infringement Environmental Licensing Drinking Water Safety Plans Environmental Compliance WWDL & Reviews S99e Drinking Water Monitoring WWD Certs AER S16’s DW Safety Plans S16 Audits WWDL Abstractions Incidents Inspections Environmental Regulation IT Systems Development

3. Background EPA Environmental Regulation Operation and Maintenance Asset Management Local Authorities

4. Urban Waste Water • Licences • Certificates • Monitoring • Incidents • Reports and assessments

5. UWW Licencing Wastewater Discharge Licenses & Certificates Discharge to Sewer Applications Received

6. Sligo 2014

7. UWW Issues • Licensing • Applications now dated. • Some information is aspirational • Limits do not always reflect the impact of the discharge • The notionally clean approach is not always appropriate • Prefer a more holistic contribution based approach (WFD!)

8. UWW Compliance YTD

9. UWW Compliance Issues • Compliance • Many of the timelines are aspirational and unachievable based on achieving very optimistic WFD objectives. • Many of the conditions overlap with water framework and other assessments, e.g. FPM, shellfish, drinking water abstraction. • Sampling regime needs to be tightened.

10. Drinking Water • Monitoring • Incidents • RAL • Drinking Water Safety Plans • Reports and assessments

11. Drinking Water Compliance Stats

12. Drinking Water Issues • Drinking water monitoring programmes need to be re-evaluated • Taking an incremental approach to Drinking Water Safety plans • Very much integrated into our business systems • Will depend on WFD analysis for catchment side and implementation of suitable protection measures

13. LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

14. Analysing the problem Implementing Systems Harmonising & Standardising Finding the right solution Better Information/Analysis Delivering LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

15. ECJ • Significant data collection required to clarify situation • Programmes of Improvement for non-compliant Agglomerations • WWTP, Collection Systems, CSO’s etc We acknowledge a significant deficit

16. Where We Are Where We Want To Be

17. Water Framework Directive • Holistic integrated approach to Water Management • Requires Irish Water to identify its significant pressures on the water environment • Also requires that we identify significant pressures on drinking water resources and ensure they are protected • There will be more measures required than we can afford to fund in the next cycle

18. Water Bodies Less than Good Status Total 1041 Suspected Causes of Pollution (547 Sites) P Contribution (%) EPA Water Quality Report 2007/09 OSPAR Estimates

19. The WFD Challenge Water Quality Improvement Targets established during WFD First Cycle

20. WFD Conundrum • First round targets to achieve ‘good status’ were unrealistic • These targets used to set Licence Compliance dates • Licence Compliance requires capital investment • Amount required not available within the timeframe of the plan

21. What we need • Agreed approach for: • Identification of pressure • Quantification of pressure • Assessing its impact • Assessing its relative contribution to the problem • Identifying appropriate measures • Prioritising investment in ‘key measures’

22. Prioritisation Matrix Impact on Beneficial Use Likelihood of not meeting good status or status degradation

23. Need to Identify and Focus on Key Areas Very High High

24. Proposed WFD & Price Control Timelines • SWMI Consultation Start • July 2015 • SWMI Consultation Close • December 2015 • RBMP Consultation Start • December 2016 • RBMP Consultation Close • June 2017 • RBMP Published • December 2017 • Consultation Phase • Commence 2nd Price Control Period • January 2017 • Submission for 2nd Price Control Period • June 2016 • Prep for 2nd Price Control Period • June 2015

25. Proposed WFD & Price Control Timelines • SWMI Consultation Start • July 2015 • SWMI Consultation Close • December 2015 • RBMP Consultation Start • March 2016 • RBMP Consultation Close • September 2016 • RBMP Published • January 2017 • Consultation Phase • Commence 2nd Price Control Period • January 2017 • Submission for 2nd Price Control Period • June 2016 • Prep for 2nd Price Control Period • June 2015

26. Environmental Information Systems • Need for good data – a common thread • Cornerstone of good decision making • High level analysis underway • Some immediate work ongoing for compliance data • Will work with all stakeholders to share information

27. Environmental Permitting Information & Compliance

28. Maximo EPA LA LIMS P6/PCM LA’s GIS HSE DECLG Fisheries BI An Taisce Marine Institute Oracle Finance Public CMS CC&B Complainants Stakeholders

29. LA LIMS IW LA Other Systems LA’s GIS DEHLG HSE LIMS Marine Institute Fisheries An Taisce An Taisce Core Public Sun Complainants Documentum Stakeholders

30. DECLG Teagasc DoA An Taisce LA’s EPA CER HSE Fisheries Marine Institute CSO Irish Water

31. Environmental Regulation Objectives • More extensive and robust monitoring programmes • Statically sound with good spatial distribution • More comprehensive and extensive audit programme • Improved network information • Compliance metrics and accountability included in SLA

32. Reliable information is required!

33. Conclusion • Good data is key • Evidence based decision making required • Must have an agreed prioritisation approach • Challenging but realistic improvement plans