Improvement plans

The reports on this site are the Pollution Reduction Programmes (PRP) for each of the sites failing the directive's imperative standard between 2002 and 2007. Between 2002 -2005 there were 9 plans covering sites that failed the directive's imperative standard, in 2006 there were 5 and by 2007 only 3 sites failed.

There are also 37 plans covering sites that failed the directive's guideline standard from 2002 -2005. These are due to be updated in the next three-year cycle period.

Each PRP provides background information on the site, reports the results of compliance monitoring, identifies point source discharges and potential risks of diffuse pollution and highlights required improvement actions.

The European Communities Directive 78/659/EEC (the Directive), on the quality of fresh waters needing protection or improvement in order to support fish life was adopted in 1978. The purpose of the directive is to protect or improve the quality of running or standing fresh waters which support or which, if pollution were reduced or eliminated, would become capable of supporting fish life. Member states must designate waters as being capable of supporting salmonid or cyprinid fisheries. They are then obliged to monitor the waters and demonstrate that fish populations are safeguarded from the harmful consequences of pollution.

In Scotland, under the Surface Waters (Fishlife) (Classification) (Scotland) Direction 1999, 205 salmonid waters and 4 cyprinid waters have been designated, listed in Annex 1. These waters are required to comply with the physical and chemical environmental quality standards set out in the Directive. Compliance is assessed annually using monitoring results for the calendar year by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the designated competent authority.