Programmes of Measures & Standards Co-ordination Group Outcomes Workshop

1. Programmes of Measures & Standards Co-ordination Group Outcomes Workshop SERBD – Advisory Council May 2008

2. POMS CG Workshop Technical POMS Studies Nine technical POMS studies, • On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems • Forest and Water • Freshwater Morphology • Municipal & Industrial Regulation • Dangerous Substances • Marine Morphology • Abstraction Pressures • Groundwater Risk from Diffuse Mobile Organics • Urban Pressures.

3. POMS CG Workshop Pro Forma • Monitoring of water bodies – e.g. criteria used in RAT for freshwater morphological impacts. • Classification of water body status and establishing default objectives – e.g. environmental standards for river flow to maintain sustainable abstractions, environmental quality standards for relevant substances. • Setting objectives • What are the risks to achieving the default objective by 2015? • What will relevant basic measures contribute to objective? • How should relevant basic measures be modified/optimised? • With regard to new obligatory regulations/controls – what is the required scope? What thresholds are needed? • What types of additional supplementary measures are judged necessary for each pressure type to achieve the default objectives? • What is the technical feasibility of putting technical solutions in place to meet default objectives by 2015? If not by 2015, when will achievement be feasible? • What are the rough costs of putting the various technical solutions in place? • What is the combined impact of all identified measures likely to be on achieving objectives?

4. POMS CG Workshop On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems • Amend Building Regulations • Implement targeted programme of inspection and enforcement • (applying codes of practice and other legislation) for both existing and new systems, • supported by risk mapping, • registration system and certification by qualified assessors. • Use the GIS risk mapping /decision support system to prioritise the locations to be targeted for work on inspections and maintenance and on assessment of new planning applications • Prepare a register of OSWTS and apply a database and action tracking system, with quality controlled certification of septic tank system functionality • Establish certified panel of experts for site investigation and certification of installed system • Grants for system upgrades.

5. POMS CG Workshop Forest and Water • Forestry Act requirement to replant should be altered • Aerial Fertilisation regulations needs to be referenced into Forestry and Aerial Fertilisation Guidelines • Updating acid sensitive areas map and boundary conditions • Existing forestry- new Guidance for Harvesting of older forestry • Coup felling size • Timing of operations • Establishment of buffer zones • Guidance document for sensitive areas • Suite of 38 measures to be used for existing forested catchments will form basis of new guidance document

6. POMS CG Workshop Freshwater Morphology • Licensing/authorisation system necessary • Morphology measures tool kit • Enhancement schemes for channelisation • Removal of barriers (identified by expert judgement) • Enhancement schemes for over-grazing (identified by expert judgement) • Voluntary initiatives – wetlands projects • Education campaigns

7. POMS CG Workshop Municipal & Industrial Regulation • UWWT Regs and WWTP licensing • Regulations should be aligned with arrangements put in place to implement the requirements of the WFD • i.e. monitoring requirements in the UWWD Regs should refer to water bodies at risk • Management systems should be implemented and audited • The use of decision tools to inform planners and regulators i.e. SIMCAT

8. POMS CG Workshop Dangerous Substances • IPPC, PPP and Dangerous Substances Regs – transposing EC leg • New EQS • License review • National Dangerous Substances Awareness Campaign – septic tank advise, support for environmentally friendly products, better labelling schemes • Effluent characterisation to investigate the treatment of dangerous substances in WWTP • Further investigations into leachate constitution and its treatment • Further study on background levels is also required • Continued Pesticide usage surveys – better access to DAFF databases

9. POMS CG Workshop Marine Morphology • Complex legislative framework – recent transfers of responsibilities between government departments • ICZM • Good environmental practice guidance containing mitigation measures

10. POMS CG Workshop Abstraction Pressures SW • Modern abstractions law - comprehensive abstraction register/planning structure (roles/responsibilities)/licensing program/thresholds for registration and licensing/thresholds for abstraction volume • Plumbing code for water conservation • Water charging? • Water conservation - residential/commercial/industrial/water re-use • Reduce unaccounted for water loss (leaks) • Rainwater harvesting • Alter abstraction timing • Conjunctive use of water resources • New storage tanks/reservoirs • Alternative sources (and infrastructure) • Restrict development GW • New legislation (e.g., Water Resources Act)

11. POMS CG Workshop Groundwater Risk from Diffuse Mobile Organics • Registration/surveys/inventories – local authorities, national institutions, industry, golf courses • Reporting, auditing of sales and usage • Use and disposal of pesticides within Source Protection Zones • GW monitoring • Mapping of cropping patterns • Research: • Degradation rates in Irish soils • Bypass flow • Poorly productive aquifers

12. POMS CG Workshop Urban Pressures Soft Measures: • Change design codes – design constraints, source protection zones, SUDS • Enforcement (staffing) • Complete qualitative status assessment • Work is needed to document and quantify urban pollution, involving: • Monitoring (existing, new) • Targeted studies (e.g., road runoff, SUDS, sewer exfiltration) Hard Measures: • Change infrastructure - rehabilitation/replacement needs are considerable • Long-term (decades) implementation

13. POMS CG Workshop Other Supporting Studies: • High Status Sites • Water Balance Model & Flow Duration Curve Tool • Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards • Heavily Modified Water Bodies & Artificial Water Bodies • how does the study assist: • the technical work undertaken on pressures by the POMS studies • monitoring / classification / objective-setting

14. POMS CG Workshop Outcomes • Outcomes report - all POMS studies to populate pro forma • This will feed into the Economics Study • Presentations circulated • Measures table - template structure and terms agreed and tables to be populated by all POMS studies • Many of the studies are recommending follow-up “actions” as well as measures • Risk assessment updates of Art 5 tests - table circulated, to be populated and decisions to be agreed at next POMS CG meeting • A database needs to be populated to assist with the plan development