SEPA Launches New Aquatic Monitoring Network
The Water Framework Directive has required wide ranging changes to the water environment monitoring carried out by SEPA. SEPA now has a monitoring network which will provide the data to support the aim of European legislation – that all water bodies are of good ecological status by 2015. The new network will enable us to identify problems and resolve them, thereby improving the water environment.
This revised network has been reported to the EU, by the deadline of the 22nd of March.
Monitoring and classification
The WFD required SEPA, and other responsible organisations in Scotland, to develop new monitoring and classification systems by December 2006. The monitoring and classification systems covers all surface water and groundwater bodies, and is based on a new Ecological Classification system, with five quality classes.
The classification system will be underpinned by a range of biological quality elements, supported by measurements of physico-chemistry, hydrology and morphology. The range of quality elements used in the new ecological classification system includes several that SEPA has little or no experience of measuring and evaluating.
Risk Assessment Process
SEPA's WFD monitoring system is risk-driven. It focus monitoring resources on those water bodies identified as being at risk of failing to meet their WFD objectives. New risk assessment tools, covering a variety of anthropogenic pressures acting on Scotland's waters are being developed to assess the impacts of human activities on ecological quality. This risk assessment strategy will be supported and validated using a surveillance monitoring network to check the results of the tools. Operational monitoring is being carried out in detail at the sites identified by the risk assessment tools.
The bulk of the monitoring work is operational monitoring, targeted on water bodies at risk. The objective of this work is to establish the status of those bodies and help inform the targeting of any measures that may be needed.
Scottish Monitoring Strategy
In order to help deliver these new monitoring requirements, SEPA has developed a Scottish Monitoring Strategy with partners such as SNH, Scottish Water, British Waterways and Fisheries Research Services.
The overall aims of the monitoring strategy for Scotland's water environment are to:
- produce, manage and assess information relevant to characterisation and risk assessment
- develop, coordinate and maintain the WFD monitoring programmes, ensuring consistent standards, as well as the production and management of high quality data.
EU and UK Work
SEPA has made a significant contribution to the EU and UK working groups directing this work on classification and monitoring. This work is taken forward through European CIS guidance and the UK Technical Advisory Group (UKTAG).
