6. Water Quality
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This presentation was given as part of the EPA-funded Catchment Science and Management Course focusing on Integrated Catchment Management, held in June 2015. This course was delivered by RPS Consultants. If you have any queries or comments, or wish to use the material in this presentation, please contact catchments@epa.ie It is increasingly being recognised internationally that integrated catchment management (ICM) is a useful organising framework for tackling the ongoing challenge of balancing sustainable use and development of our natural resource, against achieving environmental goals. The basic principles of ICM (Williams, 2012) are to: • Take a holistic and integrated approach to the management of land, biodiversity, water and community resources at the water catchment scale; • Involve communities in planning and managing their landscapes; and • Find a balance between resource use and resource conservation ICM is now well established in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. In Europe the ICM approach has been proposed as being required to achieve effective water and catchment management, and is the approach being promoted by DEFRA for the UK, where it is called the “Catchment Based Approach” (CaBA). The principles and methodologies behind ICM sit well within the context of the Water Framework Directive with its aims and objectives for good water quality, sustainable development and public participation in water resource management. In Ireland it is proposed that the ICM approach will underlie the work and philosophy in developing and implementing future River Basin Management Plans.
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6. Water Quality
- 2. Learning Outcomes • What are the Principal Pressures impacting water quality • What are the main sources of those pressures • What effects/ impacts do they have • Some measures of impact / status
- 3. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments PRESSURES NUTRIENTS – N AND P SEDIMENT – MINERAL / ORGANIC MICROBIAL PATHOGENS HYDROMORPHOLOGY Pollutants or Polluting Effects such as nutrients, chemicals, biota, heat (thermal), sediments, physical changes, bacteria/viruses Pressures can originate from multiple sources
- 4. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments NUTRIENTS (N,P) NUTRIENTS –SUPPLY AND DEMAND ! N & P -> PROTEINS / ENZYMES / DNA / ENERGY CURRENCY Limiting Factors in Growth – generally P rivers and lakes N transitional and coastal waters
- 5. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments NUTRIENTS – SOURCES AGRICULTURAL SOURCES – loss of nutrients from chemical and organic fertilizers; Livestock (6.3M Cattle, 3.2M Sheep, 1.5M Pigs) FORESTRY – Fertilization at planting and losses at harvest (brash) DWWTS – Deficient systems and headwaters during low flows UWWTS – Discharges and CSO’s INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGES – IPPC, LA Landfills
- 6. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments NUTRIENTS – SOURCES AGRICULTURAL SOURCES – loss of nutrients from chemical and organic fertilizers; Livestock (6.3M Cattle, 3.2M Sheep, 1.5M Pigs) FORESTRY – Fertilization at planting and losses at harvest (brash) DWWTS – Deficient systems and headwaters during low flows UWWTS – Discharges and CSO’s INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGES – IPPC, LA Landfills Agriculture contributes ~80% N load & 26% P load
- 7. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments National Fertilizer Use Significant reduction in use in recent decades Since mid ‘90s N – 20% P – 40% (DAFF, 2009) 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 1960 1970 1980 1990 1995 2000 2003 2008 ‘000t Fertilizer Usage N P K
- 8. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments SEDIMENT Erosion & sediment movement – a natural phenomenon CLIMATE CHANGE LAND USE ACTIVITIES – SOIL OR VEGETATION DISTURBANCE Source: FSC Watch 2008 Source: Met Éireann
- 9. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments AGRICULTURE • Tillage •Overgrazing •Livestock Poaching •Land drainage • Machinery EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY – Quarrying, Turf Cutting & drainage INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS – Roads, Bridges, Urban/Industrial Development and associated SW drainage systems SEDIMENT MOBILIZATION DREDGING & FLOOD DEFENCES – In-stream works Source: AgriLand 2015
- 10. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments SEDIMENT IMPACTS SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS – DW treatability/cost; - Biota feeding; photosynthesis SUBSTRATE – Fine sediments settle on river beds and infiltrate gravels (smothering / habitat loss / oxygen depletion / toxicity / rooting medium for plants). - Impacts on flow NUTRIENT SOURCE – May contain adsorbed nutrients.
- 11. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments MICROBIAL PATHOGENS BACTERIA / VIRUSES / PROTOZOA (Cryptosporidium / Giardia) (0.1–10µm) (0.05-0.1µm ) (4-15µm) Drinking Water Sources: 81.6% R&L 10.3% GW 8% Springs Waterborne pathogens originate in faeces of humans and other animals DWWTS / Farmyard Run-off / Land spreading of manure or slurry / Grazing animals 1g of faecal material contains many millions bacteria 1L septic tank effluent contains approx 1 million E. coli
- 12. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments INDICATORS AND PATHOGENS Normal gut flora useful as indicators – abundant and easily detectable e.g. COLIFORMS / E.coli (non-pathogenic) / ENTEROCOCCI / CLOSTRIDIA How do we know if they are present? Most do not survive for ‘lengthy’ periods in the environment (cf. temperature / sunlight / moisture ) Presence of indicators must be taken as possible presence of pathogens Nos/g E. coli Enterococci Clostridia Cow 230,000 1,300,000 200 Sheep 16,000,000 38,000,000 199,000 Human 13,000,000 3,000,000 1580
- 13. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments Source Protection STOP SLURRY AND MANURE FROM ENTERING SURFACE WATERS AND GROUND WATER SOURCES (WELL HEADS / KARST)
- 14. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments Source Protection STOP SLURRY AND MANURE FROM ENTERING SURFACE WATERS AND GROUND WATER SOURCES (WELL HEADS / KARST) DW TREATMENT COSTLY - ELABORATE PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL TREATMENT AND PROCESS CONTROLS SOME PATHOGENS ARE RESISTANT TO DISINFECTANTS AT DOSES USED
- 15. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments HYDROMORPHOLOGY SW & GW connectivity and water movements Channel form, features, substrate (boulders, meanders, vegetation) Natural systems support ecology better than modified systems •Quantity and dynamics of flow – variety of depths and water speeds (Habitat Diversity) / continuity (barriers to migration) •Resilience – flood plain connectivity •GW - recharge/abstraction and impacts on GWDTE – fens, turloughs, laggs, dune slacks Pressures: •Impounding •Abstraction •Flow regulation (Dams / Weirs) •Channel Modifications (culverts / bridge aprons / bank reinforcement, deepening)
- 16. ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES (SURFACE WATER) REGS (SI 272 OF 2009) ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES (GROUNDWATER) REGS (SI 9 of 2010) set out the : ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OBJECTIVES PHYSICO-CHEMCIAL AND BIOLOGICAL ELEMENTS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY STANDARDS CLASSIFICATION OF WATER BODY STATUS IMPACTS / STATUS
- 17. Build Partnership Create an ICM Vision Characterise the Catchment Undertake further characterisation Identify & Evaluate Possible Management Strategies Design an Implementation Programme Implement the River Basin Management Plan Measure Progress and Make Adjustments SURFACE WATER STATUS ELEMENTS ECOLOGICAL STATUS CHEMICAL STATUS BIOLOGICAL QUALITY ELEMENTS (HGMPB) Macroinvertebrates Fish Plants PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CONDITIONS (HGM) Nutrient and Oxygenation conditions Specific Pollutants HYDROMORPHOLOGY (HG) 22 Priority Substances 13 Priority Hazardous Substances Poor Status Good Status High Status Bad Status Moderate Status Good Failing Good
- 18. SURFACE WATER STATUS ELEMENTS 47% 35%
- 19. SURFACE WATER STATUS ELEMENTS 63%46%
- 20. SURFACE WATER STATUS ELEMENTS 35%
- 21. GROUNDWATER STATUS QUANTITATIVE STATUS CHEMICAL STATUS Saline Intrusions Conductivity Increasing Abstractions Impaired Concentration Indicators Impact on Surface Water River flow Abstraction > 50% Flow Standard GWDTE Chemical Impact on SW Damage due to GW Pollutants PA Damage Abstraction >80% recharge Level dropping or PA damaged Water Balance GOOD POOR Saline Intrusions GWDTE Drinking Water Threshold Values Nutrients etc / Metals / Pesticides / Organics Impaired Uses Threshold Values GOOD POOR
- 22. GROUNDWATER STATUS QUANTITATIVE STATUS CHEMICAL STATUS Saline Intrusions Conductivity Increasing Abstractions Impaired Concentration Indicators Impact on Surface Water River flow Abstraction > 50% Flow Standard GWDTE Chemical Impact on SW Damage due to GW Pollutants PA Damage Abstraction >80% recharge Level dropping or PA damaged Water Balance GOOD POOR Saline Intrusions GWDTE Drinking Water Threshold Values Impaired Uses Threshold Values GOOD POOR Approximately 85% of GW Bodies at Good Status