News & Articles

Groundwater – adapting to climate change

The Adaptation Sub-Committee (ASC) of the Committee of Climate Change has published its first assessment of the UK’s preparedness for climate change. The ASC provides advice on the government’s adaptation plans which include the impact that climate change will have on water resources. The vulnerability of the water resources of London and the South East of England is recognised within the report. In this region, in which groundwater is key to water supply and sustaining ecosystems, water availability and demand are already finely balanced and summer rainfall is predicted to reduce. Technologies such as Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs), effluent re-use and the use of brackish groundwater are all likely to play a part in ensuring the resilience of water resources to climate change.

To read the national assessment published by the ASC please visit www.theccc.org.uk/reports/adaptation

To read Defra’s strategic statement on the ASC report please visit
http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/2010/09/16/climate-adapt-strategic-statement/

The Joint Agencies Groundwater Directive Advisory Group (JAGDAG) has been reconvened

Under Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations (EPR) 2010 the Environment Agency is required to publish a list of substances that it considers to be hazardous substances on the basis of their intrinsic properties. This implements the Groundwater Daughter Directive (2006/118/EC). Hazardous substances effectively replace the previous List 1 substances under the old Groundwater Directive (80/68/EEC).

Hazardous substances must be prevented from entering groundwater. A non-hazardous pollutant is defined in EPR 2010 as any pollutant other than a hazardous substance. The classification of substances as hazardous or non-hazardous is relevant in all cases where regulation of an input of pollutants to groundwater (a "groundwater activity") is required by the EPR 2010.

JAGDAG has been reconvened to provide a cost-effective mechanism for making UK wide determinations and to facilitate EC reporting requirements. Although the identification of hazardous substances in England & Wales is the Environment Agency's responsibility under EPR 2010, it follows the procedures set up by JAGDAG.

Further information on the work of JAGDAG, including the list of substances considered to be hazardous, can be found on the UKTAG website www.wfduk.org./jagdag/

Groundwater-fed rivers slow to respond to nitrate control measures

Research shows that rivers with a higher groundwater baseflow contribution are responding very slowly to restrictions put in place to control nitrate pollution. Five rural river catchments in the UK which have long-term nitrate data were investigated by researchers at Durham University. Overall the findings were disappointing with nitrate levels in rivers declining much slower than expected. The only catchment which showed a clear decline in nitrate levels was the Leet Water catchment which is predominantly clay with high surface run-off allowing water to be circulated through the catchment quickly. In contrast the River Frome, a mainly groundwater-fed river, has rising nitrate levels due to long-term storage and release of nitrate from the underlying chalk aquifer. Nitrate pollution in the UK is seen as a serious threat to achieving good ecological status of water bodies by 2015 under the Water Framework Directive.

The full article prepared by researchers at Durham University has been published in the Environmental Science and Technology journal here
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es101395s

To find out more about the Nitrates Directive and the measures in place to reduce nitrate pollution please visit the Environment Agency web site here
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/regulation/31901.aspx

Standard permits issued under the Environmental Permitting Regulations to be revised

The Environment Agency is proposing changes to 15 standard permits issued under the Environmental Permitting (EP) Regulations. Standard permits are issued for activities that are considered to be lower risk and are covered by a generic risk assessment and a standard set of rules.

As part of the planned changes the discharge of enzyme treated sheep dip will no longer be permitted in specific Biodiviersity Action Plan habitats such as groundwater-fed water bodies. Other standard permits that are due to be changed include the licensing of mobile plants for the treatment of contaminated materials. The current standard permit will be extended to include groundwater ‘pump and treat’ operations.

Consultation on the proposed changes to the standard permits is open until 29 November 2010.

For more information please visit the Environment Agency web site http://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/portal/ho/ep/src/5?tab=info

July brings wettest month of the year

While July was the wettest month of the year so far, the distribution of rainfall across the UK was uneven. Currently water-stressed areas of north-west England, western Scotland and north Wales received above average rainfall during July, while rainfall in southern and eastern England remained low. Groundwater levels tend to continue their seasonal recession but remain within their normal summer range. High soil moisture deficits across aquifer outcrop areas, particularly in the south and east, may delay winter recharge.

To read the full hydrological summary for July please visit the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s web site www.ceh.ac.uk/data/nrfa/water_watch.html

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