The following waterbodies were unassigned in 2021, so logically these are now assigned in the new update (April 2022)
Extracted via EPA mapping interface
EPA Newly Assigned Waterbodies under the WFD
Water Framewoirk DIrective (WFD)
WFD Catchment Management Network
AIE (Requested minutes from meetings in 2021)
No records found for this working group (OEE AIE 2022 03 Decision Letter)
Northern Ireland: Water Framework Directive Statistics Report
December 2021
In 2021, no river water bodies achieved good or high overall status.
In 2021, no lakes achieved good overall status
In 2021, no water bodies achieved good overall status
In 2021, 51 (68 %) of groundwater bodies achieved good overall status
WFD National Technical Implementation Group: Membership
Membership as at Mar 2021:
Alan Dunney, CAROs
Andy Fanning, EPA
Anne Marie O’Connor, ABP
Anthony Mannix, EPA
Aoife Crowe, CER
Barry Deane, NFGWS
Bernard Harris, DAFM
Bernie O Flaherty, LAWPRO
Bernie White, LAWPRO
Billy O Keeffe, TII
Brian O Loan, BIM
Carol McCarthy, LAWPRO
Cathal Gallagher, IFI
Catherine Butler, BIM
Claire Colman, Irish Water
Clare Casey, DAFM
Cliona O’Brien, NPWS
Colin Byrne, DHPLG
Conor Galvin, OPW
Daireann McDonnell, Waterways Ireland
David Joyce, CCMA/Cork
Deborah Meghan, Coillte
Deirdre MacGabhann, ABP
Deirdre Quinn, NIEA / DAERA
Donal Grant, DHPLG
Dymphna Kehoe, DAFM
Eva Mockler, EPA
Evin McGovern, MI
Fran Igoe, LAWPRO
Gary O’Connell, LAWPRO
Graham McGovern, DHPLG
Imelda Averill, CCMA DCC
Jack Nolan, DAFM
Jenny Deakin, EPA
Joanne Gaffney, BIM
Joanne Livingstone, NIEA / DAERA
Karen Creed, EPA
Karl Kashen, LAWPRO
Ken Bucke, Forest Service
Kerry Anderson, NIEA / DAERA
Kevin Collins, Forest Service
Maeve Ryan, LAWPRO
Margaret Keegan, LAWPRO
Marie Archbold, EPA
Mark Adamson, OPW
Martin Cormican, HSE
Mary Gurrie, EPA
Matt Craig, EPA
Mike Murphy, BIM
Monica Lee, GSI
Niall Horgan, Irish Water
Noel Byrne, EPA
Noel Meehan, Teagasc
Noreen Mc Cleery, NIEA / DAERA
Oonagh McCann NIEA / DAERA
Paddy Morris, EPA
Pat Murphy Teagasc
Patrick Morrisey, EPA
Paula Treacy, WI
Peter McGoary, SFPA
Philip O’ Dea, Coillte
Ray Spain, LAWPRO
Richard Gray NIEA / DAERA
Ruth Hennessy, LAWPRO
Serena Keane, Irish Water
Shane O’ Boyle, EPA
Silke Hartmann, NIEA / DAERA
Stephen Fennell , EPA
Suzanne Wylde, EPA
WISE Water Framework Directive Database
Reporting under the Water Framework Directive is via the WISE reporting system which is owned and managed by the European Environment Agency
The WISE Water Framework Directive database contains data from the 1st and 2nd River Basin Management Plans reported by EU Members States, Norway and the United Kingdom according to article 13 of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
The database includes information about surface water bodies (number and size, water body category, ecological status or potential, chemical status, significant pressures and impacts, and exemptions) and about groundwater bodies (number and size, quantitative status, chemical status, significant pressures and impacts, and exemptions).
The information is presented by country, river basin district (RBD) and river basin district sub-unit (where applicable).
https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/wise-wfd-4
The structure of the data and further information are described in the WFD Reporting Guidance.
Data Viewer
County and City Management Association review of local authority structures to meet Water Framework Directive objectives
County and City Management Association (CCMA), a review of the wider local authority structures is now under way to inform this evolution and identify the appropriate level of resources and involvement required from the sector to meet WFD objectives.
Note: the assessment of resources within the water environment functional area of local authorities specifically includes the agricultural inspection programme
Also: In 2022, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will issue a Circular to the EPA and local authorities providing more detail on the National Agricultural Inspection Programme. A key focus of the Programme will be ensuring that follow up-inspections of non-compliant farms are undertaken, enforcement notices are issued and cases are prosecuted where necessary. Steps will also be taken to ensure that all non-compliant farms are cross-reported to DAFM which will result in penalties.
Pre AIE: mentioned in Draft River Basin Management Plan 2022-2027, also mentioned by some local authority environmental officers in relation to EPA reviewing lack of resources allocated to water vs to waste. Email to info@lgma.ie to request details on WFD objectives review by CMMA (13/3/22)
Accessing the WFD App within EPA EDEN system
The following is a summary of the WFD App
Pre AIE Request to EPA for access 2/3/22
Number of freshwater habitats reported as ‘Good Environment Status’ under Water Framework Directive monitoring
Introduced in 2000, the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to protect all water resources, prevent further deterioration of all waters and to restore degraded surface and ground waters to good status by 2015 (or at the latest 2027). It was given legal effect in Ireland by the European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003 (S.I. No. 722 of 2003). The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has delegated the task of coordination and oversight of the WFD implementation in Ireland to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The WFD requires surface waters, such as rivers and lakes, to be classified into high, good, moderate, poor, or bad ecological status based on a standard, European-wide unified approach integrating a suite of biological, chemical, and morphological conditions. Assessment of quality is based on the extent of deviation from reference conditions i.e., biological, chemical, and morphological conditions associated with no or very low human pressure.
Since the last reporting period, there was a 3.7% drop in the number of high or good quality rivers sites (56.7%, 2010-2015; 52.6%, 2013-2018) with 47% of river sites now being of moderate to bad quality. Overall, there has been no change in the number of high or good quality lakes between the last reporting period (46.2%, 2013-2015; 46.3.8%, 2015-2018), but there is a 1.9% decline since the 2007-2009 period (48.2%).
More information on water quality in Ireland’s lakes and rivers can be found here:
https://www.epa.ie/environment-and-you/freshwater-and-marine
More information on the Water Framework Directive and the EPA’s Monitoring and Assessment Programme can be found here:
The Water Framework Directive Status data can be downloaded from here:
http://gis.epa.ie/GetData/Download
More information on European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2003/si/722/made/en/print