Significant Water Management Issues (SWMI) – Update

South Eastern River Basin District

March 2007

SWMI – What is it?• Public information and consultation booklet to

encourage active involvement of all interested parties in the Water Framework Directive

• Article 14 – interim overview of the significant water management issues in the river basin, made available for public and users comment, 2 years before the beginning of the river basin management plan

• A “local” document

SWMI - What is it?• SWMI = Significant Water Management Issues

Significant Water Issues

Management Issues

• How to identify priorities and focus efforts for the first river basin management plan?

• Local and national issues

SWMI Group DiscussionWater IssuesWhat issues are the most significant?What do you see as the main causes of these problems?

Management IssuesWhat are the management gaps?Is there ownership of local problems?What activities might help to deliver improvements?

Other Input from StakeholdersIdentify good practice examples in the RBD?

• Management Group Workshop Dec 06

• Advisory Council Workshop Dec 06

SWMI Group Discussion

SWMI DiscussionWater Issue Raised RBMG RBDAC

Planning and land use change Y Y

Agriculture & changes (eg biofuels) Y Y

Point discharges – WWTP, WTP, industries, landfills, mines & quarries

Y Y

Combined system overflows Y Y

Dumping N Y

Rural housing/septic tanks Y Y

Climate change (flooding & droughts) Y Y

Dredging of channels/culverts.weirs/boat movements Y Y

Alien species/biodiversity Y Y

Abstractions – protection of sources/water shortages Y Y

Domestic behaviour – consumption & product usage Y Y

Road & urban drainage & loss of flood plains N Y

Protected Areas Y N

Forestry Y N

SWMI DiscussionManagement Issues• Joined up development control – plan & upgrade

before development• Lack of resources • Political will• Economics – charging• Lack of ownership of the problems• Education & awareness campaigns• Enforcement – use of power, personnel continuity• Availability of emergency numbers• Support for NGO initiatives

SWMI DiscussionOther Input from Stakeholders• Nitrates Regs• GWPS • Riparian zones - protection (Barrow floodplains)• Water harvesting & alternative treatments • Inland waterways (Barrow Valley) – schools

competition• Harvesting rainwater for non-consumption uses –

Kilkenny pilot• Several litter picking initiatives• Quarry silt ponds (not increased)• Fair trade advertising• SUDS schemes on new developments• Constructed wetlands

SWMI DiscussionSWMI presentation's to Local Authorities

• Wexford SPC 14th Feb• Carlow SPC 26th Feb• Laois SPC 5th Mar

• North Tipp SPC 3rd May• South Tipp SPC 16th May• North Tipp CoCo 21st May

• Kilkenny/Waterford City SPC is yet to be scheduled.

Significant Water Issues

Significant Water IssuesPoint Sources

Municipal and industrial discharges

Other point sources - quarries, mines landfills, dumps and

contaminated lands

Diffuse Sources

Agriculture

Wastewater from unsewered properties

Forestry

Urban areas - combined sewer overflows and transport networks

Usage and discharge of dangerous substances

Physical Changes

Including dredging of channels, physical barriers (culverts and

weirs), boat movements and floodplain demand

Abstractions

Protection of sources and water shortages

Local issues

Alien species/biodiversity

Protection of sensitive areas

Significant Water Issues• Background information

• The way that the issue can cause water problems

• The existing controls and their adequacy

• The proposed actions and the parties responsible and those affected

• Opinions sought about the proposals to address each issue

Significant Water IssuesTimescale

• Template agreed by December 2006

• Draft booklet for POMCG review by Easter 2007

• Draft SERBD booklet text late April

• POMS progress summary late May

• Publication 22 June 2007