Diffuse Pollution Management Advisory Group
Diffuse pollution management advisory group (DPMAG) is a
partnership that focuses
on improving Scotland's water environment by reducing rural diffuse
pollution.
The co-ordinator and first point of contact for DPMAG is:
Name: Morgane Gillet
Office: East Kilbride
Tel: 01355 574 200
This page contains information on:
Role of the group
SEPA has created a Diffuse Pollution Management Advisory Group,
which is a River Basin District Advisory Group under Section 17 of
the Water Environment and Water Services Act (Scotland) 2003.
The main purpose of this advisory group is
to:
- help create a robust governance,
decision-making and coordination framework for the effective
delivery of rural diffuse pollution RBMP actions in Scotland;
- ensure input from a cross section of rural,
environmental and biodiversity interests.
Diffuse pollution in
Scotland
Diffuse pollution is pollution arising from
land-use activities (urban and rural) that are dispersed across a
catchment or sub-catchment. Individually they are minor, but
collectively they are significant across a catchment and can be
influenced by rainfall.
In rural areas this includes pollution from
agricultural land, forestry, and septic tanks from individual
dwellings or small groups of properties. More information on land
use can be found on SEPA's land use web
pages.
In Scotland, the source of much of the pollution affecting
the water environment is from diffuse sources. More
information on water quality in Scotland can be found in the
Scotland District Plan and in the
Solway and Tweed district plan and in
the river basin interactive map (link to the map).
More information on diffuse pollution can be found on SEPA's
Diffuse Pollution web pages.
The rural diffuse pollution plan for
Scotland
The rural diffuse pollution plan for Scotland is to ensure that
the key stakeholders in Scotland work in a coordinated way to
reduce diffuse pollution from rural sources. This will help to
protect and improve the water environment and deliver the targets
set in the river basin management plans for the Scotland and Solway
Tweed river basin districts.
DPMAG have developed a two tiered strategy approach to reduce
diffuse pollution in Scotland:
- a national campaign to prevent water bodies from deterioration
in status and make improvement where they are not far from a status
boundary. DPMAG has developed a national awareness campaign to
support the national campaign;
- a targeted approach in catchments where the extent of diffuse
pollution problem on the water environment requires a more
focused approach. Fourteen priority catchments have been selected
for the first RBMP cycle. More information on our Priority catchment web site.
This plan is composed of three main parts:
- the overview document which explains how this strategy will be
implemented;
- the national action plan explaining the actions that DPMAG and
DPMAG members will perform nationally to ensure a co-ordinated
approach in reducing diffuse pollution in Scotland;
- the DPMAG communications plan explaining how DPMAG and DPMAG
members will develop the national awareness campaign.
This plan is a live document and will be updated when necessary.
It is available as a pdf (748kb
) or to view online via the links
below.
Membership
This Advisory Group includes representatives
from organisations who have rural diffuse pollution interests, such
as:
- Association of District Salmon Fishery Boards;
- CONFOR;
- Forestry Commission Scotland;
- National Park Authorities;
- National Farmers Union Scotland;
- Scottish Environment link (RSPB & WWF Scotland);
- SEPA;
- Scottish Government;
- SRPBA;
- Tenant Farmers Association;
- Scottish Natural Heritage;
- Scottish Water;
- Scottish Golf Environment Group.
Meetings and minutes
The DPMAG meets quarterly and provides a mechanism to support
the effective delivery of rural diffuse pollution River Basin
Management Plan actions in Scotland.
Future meetings
-
15 June 2010
-
23 September 2010
-
09 December 2010
Previous meetings
Agenda, minutes, papers and presentations from
the previous meetings of DPMAG will be available online
soon.