Water policy is currently being developed through a raft of EU directives, the main one being the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Introduced in 2001, it is hailed as the most important piece of water legislation for the past 20 years.
The future of water policy is currently dominated by the EU Water Framework Directive. This is concerned with improving not just the chemical quality but also the ecological status of our surface waters, and the chemical quality of groundwaters. We also need to consider the impacts of climate change on our water resources.
As a result, a different approach to protecting water quality is now required; namely, Integrated Catchment Management (ICM), which aims to protect water resources at source by delivering landscape management to achieve a series of goals:
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Maintain/improve water quality (avoiding diffuse and point source pollution)
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Manage water quantity (minimise incidents of unconstrained flooding and drought)
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Enhance biodiversity
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Meet other legislative requirements
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Deliver an holistic approach to meeting water management targets
Thus, ICM offers the opportunity to develop sustainable, multiple benefit approaches. The challenge is that it requires a multi-disciplinary approach. ADAS scientists are leading experts in this field. At ADAS we are actively investigating the impacts of agricultural land management on water quality and run-off and flood risk with a view to implementing Integrated Catchment Management.
Water policy is currently being developed through a raft of EU directives, the main one being the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Hailed as the most important piece of water legislation for the past 20 years, its introduction in 2001 has already brought about much change and many challenges, with more to come. Programmed to be fully implemented by 2015, a number of milestones have yet to be met and all water users will feel its impact.
The cost of implementation is estimated to run into millions. Both Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) are at the forefront of developing policy to ensure UK targets are reached. A range of measures such as the Nitrates Directive and Groundwater Directive are already in place and more will follow.
At ADAS, we advise the majority of parties engaged in improving water quality in the UK, be it policy makers, water companies or land managers. We have a unique insight into this complex and fast changing area and are particularly well placed to offer independent advice.
Related ADAS Services
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Providing technical support and independent advice to policy makers
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Advising the larger water users on the likely impact of forthcoming legislation to their businesses and how best to comply
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Advising most of the parties involved in improving water quality in the UK on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive
PSYCHIC: Phosphorus and Sediment Yield Characterization in Catchments
Overview
Natural and artificial hydrological processes can facilitate the transfer of nutrients from land to water. Phosphorus (P) enrichment has been widely linked to water quality problems such as eutrophication. An important source of nutrient enrichment is diffuse pollution from agricultural land and this is closely linked to the transfer of soil and sediment. Recent changes in environmental legislation have made diffuse pollution a priority concern and there is an urgent need for a risk assessment and decision making tool to be developed. The PSYCHIC project aims to address this need.
Why is Phosphorus a problem?
Excess nutrient levels in general can have adverse effects on water quality. However, Phosphorus is the priority concern for freshwater in the UK. Excess levels of the pollutant can severely damage freshwater habitats. A common problem is ‘Eutrophication’ which is often seen as increased algae growth in the water. This in turn can lead to a reduction in habitat diversity. Phosphorus is widely used in agriculture as it is an essential element for crop growth. Consequently, it is added to many compound fertilizers and is also present in livestock manures.
How does PSYCHIC work?
The Decision Support System (DSS) operates by combining hydrological and land management information, together with source fingerprinting technology, to identify specific areas of land at risk of silt and Phosphorus loss. High-risk areas can then be targeted with control measures such as improved farm management practices, in order to reduce diffuse water pollution in sensitive river catchments such as the Hampshire Avon and the Wye.
Water Quality Monitoring
We are monitoring several sites throughout the Hampshire Avon and Wye river catchments to help us better understand the process of phosphorus transfer from land to water. This information will be used to develop and validate the PSYCHIC DSS. The Avon and Wye have been selected because they are typical of UK farmland in sensitive natural environments.
The Research Consortium
Research and development of the PSYCHIC prototype is being led by ADAS, using expertise from the Catchment Management and Environmental Systems teams. CEH, NSRI, Sheffield, Reading and Exeter Universities are also involved with the project. PSYCHIC is funded by Defra, the Environment Agency and English Nature and when completed, the DSS will be available to a range of users.
