ABSTRACT
Environmental legislation relating to water quality is based largely on quality standards relating to suitability for a specific use, the protection of receiving waters or emission limits on discharges. Standards are usually mandatory with maximum permissible concentrations based on health criteria or environmental quality standards (EQSs) (see Section 7.1). Table 8.1 lists the Directives concerning the aquatic environment that govern legislation in countries (Member States) comprising the European Union. However, European legislation relating to water policy has significantly changed since the introduction of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/60/EC). Many of the earlier Directives, on which surface water and groundwater management has been based, will be integrated into the new Directive giving one coherent policy document controlling and protecting water resources on a catchment basis (Table 8.2). Acting as the pivotal legislation, the WFD will be supported by a New Groundwater Directive (COM(2003)550 Final), a revised Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC; COM(2002)581 Final), and the existing Nitrates (91/676/EEC), Urban Wastewater Treatment (91/271/EEC) and Drinking Water (98/83/EC) Directives. The Sewage Sludge Disposal (86/278/EEC) and the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive (96/61/EEC), along with a number of associated Directives remain relevant to water quality but are outside those concerned directly with water policy. The Directive controlling sewage sludge disposal to agricultural land (86/278/EEC) is discussed in Chapter 21.
