The United Kingdom Technical Advisory Group (UKTAG) which provides coordinated advice on technical aspects of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive in the United Kingdom has added two new documents to its website. The Phase 2 surface water standards and conditions report and the alien species list have both been updated.
A technical report on proposals for a first set of surface water standards and conditions was published by UKTAG for review in 2006. The latest document is the UKTAG's proposals for a second set of standards and conditions – this defines environmental conditions that the UKTAG views as supporting healthy communities of aquatic plants and animals. The standards and conditions are intended to focus efforts to protect the water environment.
The report covers standards and management approaches for temperature, nutrients and suspended solids. It also proposes a system for assessing the impact of changes to freshwater flows to estuaries and the effect of managed flows, such as the releases to rivers from impoundments. The report also proposes a system for assessing the structure or condition of the beds and banks of lakes, estuaries and coastal waters.
The UKTAG expects that the standards and conditions will be used to help develop policy, and to guide the Directive’s first cycle of river basin management plans. As understanding improves, the standards and conditions will be further revised.
There are also standards that will be important for the Water Framework Directive but which are beyond the scope of the work of the UKTAG. These cover pollutants that have been identified by the European Union as Priority Substances. Standards for these are currently being developed at European level.
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