ADAS

The Legislative Framework

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:

• Maintain/improve water quality (avoiding diffuse and point source pollution)
• Manage water quantity (minimise incidents of unconstrained flooding and drought)
• Enhance biodiversity
• Meet other legislative requirements
• 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

• Providing technical support and independent advice to policy makers
• Advising the larger water users on the likely impact of forthcoming legislation to their businesses and how best to comply
• 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.

Pollution

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is concerned with improving both the ecological status and the chemical quality of our water. In order to achieve this, an understanding of the main sources of chemical contaminants, such as nitrates, pesticides, biocides, phosphorus, sediments and pathogens, is vital.

ADAS research looks at diffuse and point source pollution in rural environments. As farmland and forestry account for three-quarters of the total land mass of England, rural land management can be seen as central to the control of diffuse pollution. This has been recognised by Defra, which has cited diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA) as a priority issue, although non-agricultural pollution is also of significant importance.

Many of the main contamination mitigation methods have been successfully tested by ADAS at plot and semi-field scale, and the next step is their development into cost-effective solutions for land management uses in the ‘real world’. A detailed understanding of the implications of any new technology on the end user and their business is essential if farmers, land managers and the like are to adopt them. This is something that we are exceptionally well placed to achieve at ADAS, given our unique relationships and understanding of how such businesses may be affected.

Related ADAS Services

• Providing technical support and independent advice to the policy makers in this field
• ADAS is an industry leader in water pollution research and solutions development
• Helping businesses to identify practices that cause pollution and to develop cost effective solutions
• Highlighting hidden advantages, such as conservation benefits
• Access to the specialist environmental assessment, research and monitoring services for chemicals offered by Cambridge Environmental Assessments (CEA)

Coquet Catchment Pesticides Study

Background
The River Coquet is an excellent, clean river system of high conservation and ecological value. The river is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) plus there are another 10 SSSIs within the Coquet catchment. The main river supports a healthy and diverse invertebrate fauna and other taxa, which are sensitive to pollution. Their presence indicates the absence of chronic pollution and the in-stream biology is generally of excellent quality. However, concentrations of the herbicide isoproturon (IPU) were detected during 2002 on a number of separate occasions within the River Coquet. The concentration detected exceeded the Regulatory standard of 0.1 µg L-1 for drinking water. Although these levels were not considered to present a risk of ecological/health impacts, Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) and the Environment Agency (EA) contracted ADAS to characterise the Coquet Catchment in terms of risk of pesticide pollution of watercourses, and to devise a strategy to reduce this risk.

The Project
This consisted of the following 3 phases:

• Water Quality Data - Analysis of existing water quality highlighted that agricultural and amenity herbicides were the primary substances within the river.
• Desk study and modeling - ADAS’ specialist GIS and modelling team conducted a desk study to identify areas considered to be most at risk of diffuse pollution. The SWAT model was used to estimate the area of land that could be at risk from pesticide losses in the autumn.
• Farm visits - Meetings with agronomists were held in addition to the farm visits. The surveys aimed to ascertain the use and management of pesticides in areas identified as being at ‘High Risk’ of pesticide loss.

Recommended Mitigation Methods

The project produced a range of specific options to reduce the risk of pesticides entering the watercourse by diffuse and point pollution. These recommendations are being considered by NWL. However, there was also a number of generic recommendations that were applicable to the whole Coquet Catchment, such as those recommended in Codes of Good Agricultural Practice and as advocated by the Voluntary Initiative.

Catchments

Central to the improvement of water quality is Integrated Catchment Management, which aims to manage water resources at source and on a large scale

The change in emphasis under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) from chemical analysis only, to both chemical and ecological assessment when determining water quality, has brought about a new way of thinking. A totally different approach to land management within our water catchment areas is now required. Central to this concept is Integrated Catchment Management (ICM), which aims to manage water resources at source and on a scale large enough to incorporate the entire catchment area. An important aspect of this is River Basin Management Plans.

As many Water Companies have little or no control over much of the land located within their catchment areas, influencing those that do is key to controlling pollution. Engagement with stakeholders such as landowners and those involved in agriculture, and their inclusion in the decision making process, will prove vital to future success, to the benefit of all water users.

Environmental schemes that encourage catchment sensitive farming in the battle against diffuse pollution look certain to have a significant role to play, but will only work where cost-effective for all concerned. That is not only for the farmers who may be asked to accept measures such as reduced stocking rates, but also for the water companies who remain accountable to both shareholders and the general public through their asset management plans.

Related ADAS Services

• Providing technical support and independent advice to the policy makers in this field
• Providing advice to a wide range of water users and water companies
• ADAS is an industry leader in water pollution research and solutions development
• Working with the farming sector in the investigation of pollution sources and the development of farming systems that minimise environmental damage
• Involvement in the transfer of technology between sectors

Engineering Solutions

Overview: River engineering no longer needs to focus entirely on engineered structures; alternative ‘soft’ engineering has an increasingly important part to play

To date, many of the mitigation measures aimed at water pollution control have focused on influencing and changing land management practices such as fertiliser application and cultivation methods. However, at ADAS we believe alternative ‘soft’ engineering solutions have an increasingly important role to play in both rural and urban environments.  No longer does river engineering need to focus entirely on engineered structures such as flood walls and culverts.

Often adapted from other industries, these can intercept water and facilitate the removal of contaminants, such as pesticides, and aid water filtration prior to entry into surface water and groundwater systems. Included are systems such as reedbeds, biobeds, ponds and other vegetated buffer strips. Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) are also being looked at for adaptation in the removal of such contaminants. Whilst technical and regulatory hurdles still need to be overcome before such technologies can be fully adapted to rural situations, initial results look promising.  

Getting to the source of the problem

Water companies can no longer afford simply to build themselves out of trouble to remove pesticides, nitrates and other contaminants from drinking water. Nitrate levels are continuing to rise in many areas, pesticides are leaking into watercourses from farmland throughout the system, and the sources of sufficient clean water able to meet the greater consumer demand for drinking water at increasingly high standards are drying up.

Against this worsening scenario, the latest round of the water industry’s spending review of the next five years’ plans has opted to ditch many of the environmental schemes that offered a sustainable route to reduce the diffuse pollution at source. Up to a third of the bids for environmental scheme funding are believed to have been slashed to hold water bills down, leaving only those schemes deemed crucial to meet statutory water-quality obligations.

We have the opportunity to create a long-term strategy to improve water quality in the UK. Yet the industry has once again turned to engineering solutions, with plans for ever-more complicated and sophisticated treatment works. Water UK, the water industry association, estimates the new plans will cost £450M to implement and run between 2005 and 2010, carrying a heavy environmental cost in energy, resource and disposal of pesticides and nitrates removed by treatment works. The system is not sustainable, either economically or environmentally. Water companies will have to treat more water in the future, to inevitably higher standards expected by regulators and consumers.

Unless something is done to reduce the levels of diffuse pollution coming into the system, the treadmill of ever-increasing investment and operating costs will continue to drive up water bills.

Integrated Catchment Management
It requires a sea change in the attitude of water companies and Government to step away from the short-term cycle of investment in treatment works and to address the long-term route of reducing diffuse pollution sources through integrated catchment management.

The whole ethos about environmental policy, including the Water Framework Directive, is that it is sympathetic with the environment and develops a long-term sustainable approach with minimal impact on habitats and the flora and fauna. Building and operating yet more treatment works is hardly compatible with this approach. In fact, the Directive actually directs governments to reduce the level of purification treatment required, under Article 7 of the legislation. Furthermore, the Directive requires measures to reverse upward trends in water contaminants entering the system from groundwater. If the UK is to comply with the EU Directive, then it will have to adopt a more integrated approach. Countries including Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands have already demonstrated what can be achieved, which will only further fuel the EU politicians’ resolve to address diffuse pollution through an integrated approach, and the possible imposition of measures, which the UK will have to follow.

Related ADAS Services

• Providing technical support and independent advice to the policy makers in this field
• Providing advice to a wide range of water users and water companies
• ADAS is an industry leader in water pollution research and solutions development

Water Supplies and Flooding

The UK is a small island that has large and growing demands being placed upon its water resources by an expanding population. If we are to ensure the quality and quantity of our groundwater and surface water reserves, regulation and controls must be exerted. The Government introduced the Water Act 2003, which has four main aims: to promote the sustainable use of resources, to promote water conservation, to strengthen the voice of the consumer and to increase competition over supply.

Farmers and growers already require water abstraction licenses in order to remove significant amounts of water, such as for irrigation purposes. These practices will also be further extended to other significant water users in the future.

Changing weather patterns have significantly increased the risk of drought and flooding. To date, the emphasis of Government policy with regard to flood risk has been on engineering solutions to protect our homes from damage. Agricultural land management can impact significantly on water run-off and flood risk. Artificial drainage systems exist for around 40 per cent of agricultural soils and these significantly alter the hydrology of the surrounding land. Areas such as this are being explored by ADAS with a view to solutions development.

Related ADAS Services

• Providing technical support and independent advice to the policy makers in this field
• Providing advice to a wide range of water users and water companies
• ADAS is an industry leader in water pollution research and solutions development
• Investigation of flood risk and the role played by current agriculture practices
• Assessing the impact of increased usage on water resources
• Advising farmers on the best use of irrigation, the design of irrigation systems

Climate Change, Water Security

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is based upon the assumption that today’s climate will not change. Many would argue that this is not the case. Clearly any change in climate, be it drought in summer or increased rainfall, will impact significantly on our water supply, usage and the systems used to control our water quality.

Related ADAS Services

• Providing technical support and independent advice to the policy makers in this field
• Providing advice to a wide range of water users and water companies

ADAS is an industry leader in water pollution research and solutions development including investigation into the impact of modern agricultural practices on flood risk in this particular field

Water Security

The risk of terrorist attack continues to impact in the most unexpected of places. Consideration should be given to protecting our drinking water supplies from such risks. This would require the preparation of a detailed strategic plan and assessment of the current state of security in order to identify key areas of risk. Protective solutions could then be designed and implemented.

Related ADAS Services

• Assisting policy makers and the water companies in the development of any assessment into the current state of security
• Assisting policy makers and the water companies in the development of a strategic plan
• Research and development into preventative solutions