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Monitoring Programme 2009-2015

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Monitoring Programme 2009-2015

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A brief summary is given herein of the national WFD monitoring programme, the development of which involved consultations with the River Basin Districts through
their lead local authorities, with local authorities in general, with the relevant State bodies and with others. The programme is set out in detail in the report.

The programme lists the specified authorities to implement the monitoring programme and there is a statutory obligation on the nominated authorities to execute the monitoring assigned to them. The principal rationale determining the assignment of a particular monitoring responsibility to a Public Authority was the established expertise, competency and capacity of the particular Public Authority to perform the task. For the majority of the biological, hydromorphological and physicochemical parameters, the assigned Public Authorities have been involved in the assessment of these parameters for several decades. Due to a lack of existing capacity and expertise within the Public Authorities in Ireland, a small amount of the biology and hydromorphology as well as a significant amount of the chemical monitoring may need to be outsourced, at least for an initial period. For practical purposes it is desirable that the outsourcing be as centralised as possible. With this in mind it is proposed that the EPA arrange and manage the
outsourcing in freshwaters and the Marine Institute the outsourcing of samples from transitional and coastal waters.

The structure and content of the monitoring programme represents the outcome of a major research and development process involving various sub-groups under the
auspices of the National Technical Co-ordination Group for the WFD and the outcome of the consultation process referred to above.

As required by the Regulations, the programme sets out the ‘nature, frequency and extent’ of the monitoring to be implemented, to be operational 22 December 2006. While the development of the programme has considered monitoring requirements at water body level, the listings of stations as set out in the report on the proposed programme are indicative, and will be subject to amendment periodically based on experience and on new developments, while keeping to the overall nature, frequency and extent of the programme as set out in this report.


FileAction
Summary report on the Characterisation and_analysis Irlands RBDs.pdf  Download  
EPA Water WFD Monitoring Programme Main Reportpdf  Download  
Cover from epa_water_wfd_monitoring_programme_main_report.jpg  Download  
Appendix 10.4 wfd_groundwater_monitoring-appendix-10-4-v1-4-2.xls  Download  
Appendix 8.1 - eu wfd monitoring programme for lakes version 1.101.xls  Download  
Appendix 7.1 Rivers Monitoring Programme version 1.4.3 May 2007.xls  Download  
Appendix 2.1 priority Substances and Relevant Pollutants list for surface water and groundwater.xls  Download  

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Who is involved?

Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.

This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.

LAWCO

Local Authority Waters Programme

The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.

DECLG

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.