European Union Environmental Objectives (Surface Waters) (Amendment) Regulations 2019

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 77/2019
• Year: 2019

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” 12th of March, 2019.

I, EOGHAN MURPHY, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972 (No. 27 of 1972) and for the purpose of giving effect to Directive 2013/39 EU1 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 August 2013 amending Directives 2000/60/EC and 2008/105/EC as regards priority substances in the field of water policy; Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/2292 of 12 February 2018 establishing, pursuant to Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, the values of the Member State monitoring system classifications as a result of the intercalibration exercise and repealing Commission Decision 2013/480/EU, and Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/8403 of 5 June 2018 establishing a watch list of substances for Union-wide monitoring in the field of water policy pursuant to Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/495, hereby make the following Regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Union Environmental Objectives (Surface Waters) (Amendment) Regulations 2019.

2. In these Regulations –

“the 2009 Regulations” means the European Communities Environmental Objectives (Surface Waters) Regulations 2009 ( S.I. No 272 of 2009 );

“the 2015 Regulations” means the European Union Environmental Objectives (Surface Waters (Amendment) Regulations) 2015 ( S.I. No. 386 of 2015 ).

3. The 2009 Regulations are amended in Schedule 5 by the substitution of the following Tables for Tables 8 and 9:

“Table 8 – Biological quality elements

RIVERS (All types)

Biological Quality Element Classification System River Type Ecological Quality Ratio High-good boundary Good - moderate boundary Macroinvertebrates Quality Rating System (Q-value) All 0.85 0.75 Phytobenthos Revised form of Trophic Diatom Index (TDI)* 0.93 0.78 Fish Fish Classification Scheme 2 Ireland (FCS2) All 0.845 0.540

Note: *To be used only in rivers with alkalinity less than 150mg/l CaCO3

LAKES

Biological Quality Element Classification System Lake Type Ecological Quality Ratio High-good boundary Good-moderate boundary Phytoplankton IE Lake Phytoplankton Index All 0.80 0.60 Phytoplankton biomass(1) (Chlorophyll) Type 1, 2, 3, 4, 13(2) 0.50 0.29 Phytoplankton biomass(1) (Chlorophyll) Type 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12(2) 0.55 0.32 Fish FIL2 All 0.76 0.53 Phytobenthos Lake Trophic Diatom Index (IE) High and moderate alkalinity(3) 0.90 0.63 Lake Trophic Diatom Index (IE) Low alkalinity(3) 0.90 0.66 Macrophytes Free Macrophyte Index All 0.90 0.68

(1) Phytoplankton biomass can be used with caution for assessing lake ecological and trophic status when zebra mussels are present

(2) Type 1: Low altitude, low alkalinity, shallow and small lakes

Type 2: Low altitude, low alkalinity, shallow and large lakes

Type 3: Low altitude, low alkalinity, deep and small lakes

Type 4: Low altitude, low alkalinity, deep and large lakes

Type 5: Low altitude, moderate alkalinity, shallow and small lakes

Type 6: Low altitude, moderate alkalinity, shallow and large lakes

Type 7: Low altitude, moderate alkalinity, deep and small lakes

Type 8: Low altitude, moderate alkalinity, deep and large lakes

Type 9: Low altitude, high alkalinity, shallow and small lakes

Type 10: Low altitude, high alkalinity, shallow and large lakes

Type 11: Low altitude, high alkalinity, deep and small lakes

Type 12: Low altitude, high alkalinity, deep and large lakes

Type 13: Lakes >200m altitude

Where

Low altitude: ≤200m

High altitude: >200m

Low alkalinity lakes: ≤20 mg/l CaCO3

Moderate alkalinity lakes: 20-100 mg/l CaCO3

High alkalinity lakes: ≥ 100 mg/l CaCO3

Shallow lakes:

Deep lakes: ≥4 metres mean depth

Small lakes:

Large lakes: ≥50 hectares

(3) Specific to the Phytobenthos BQE

Low alkalinity lakes 3

Moderate alkalinity lakes 10-50 mg/l CaCO3

High alkalinity lakes >50 mg/l CaCO3

COASTAL WATERS (All types with the exception of coastal water lagoons)

Biological Quality Element Classification System Ecological Quality Ratio High-good boundary Good-moderate boundary Macroalgae RSL - Rocky shore reduced species list 0.80 0.60 OGA Tool - Opportunistic Green Macroalgal Abundance 0.80 0.60 Angiosperms Intertidal Seagrass tool 0.80 0.61 SMAATIE - Saltmarsh Angiosperm Assessment Tool for Ireland 0.80 0.60 Phytoplankton Phytoplankton biomass(1) (Chlorophyll) 0.82 0.60 Phytoplankton composition 0.80 0.60 Benthic invertebrate fauna IQI — Infaunal Quality Index 0.75 0.64

(1) Growing season March to September

TRANSITIONAL WATERS (All types with the exception of transitional water lagoons)

Biological Quality Element Classification System Ecological Quality Ratio High-good boundary Good-moderate boundary Macroalgae OGA Tool — Opportunistic Green Macroalgal Abundance 0.80 0.60 Angiosperms Intertidal Seagrass tool 0.80 0.61 Phytoplankton Phytoplankton biomass (1) (Chlorophyll) 0.80 0.60 Phytoplankton composition 0.80 0.60 Fish TFCI — Transitional Fish Classification Index 0.81 0.58 EMFI — Estuarine Multi-Metric Fish Index 0.92 0.65 Benthic invertebrate fauna IQI — Infaunal Quality Index 0.75 0.64

(2) Growing season March to September

Table 9

Physico-chemical conditions supporting the biological elements

PART A: General conditions

THERMAL CONDITIONS

Thermal conditions River water body Lake water body Transitional water body Coastal water body Temperature Not greater than a 1.5°C rise in ambient temperature outside the mixing zone

OXYGENATION CONDITIONS (BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND)

Oxygenation conditions River water body Lake water body Transitional water body Coastal water body Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) (mg O2/l) High status ≤ 1.3 (mean(1)) or ≤ 2.2 (95%ile) High status ≤ 3.0 (95%ile) Good status ≤ 1.5 (mean(1)) or ≤ 2.6 (95%ile) Good status ≤ 4.0 (95%ile) ≤ (1) The calculation of the arithmetic mean and the analytical method used must be in accordance with the technical specifications for chemical monitoring and quality of analytical results to be adopted in accordance with Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, including how to apply an EQS where there is no appropriate analytical method meeting the minimum performance criteria.

OXYGENATION CONDITIONS CONTINUED (DISSOLVED OXYGEN)

Oxygenation conditions River water body Lake water body Transitional water body (Summer) Coastal water body (Summer) Dissolved oxygen lower limit 95%ile >80% saturation High status (0-17 psu(1)) 95%ile >80% saturation High status (>17-35 psu(2)) 95%ile >80-85% saturation Good status (0-17 psu) 95%ile >70% saturation Good status (>17-35 psu(2)) 95%ile >70-80% saturation Dissolved oxygen upper limit 95%ile High status (0 – 17 psu) 95%ile High status (>17-35 psu(2)) 95%ile Good status (0 - 17 psu(1)) 95%ile Good status (>17-35 psu(2)) 95%ile

ACIDIFICATION STATUS

Acidification Status River water body Lake water body Transitional water body Coastal water body pH (Individual values) Soft(3)Water 4.5 Hard(4)Water 6.0

(1) psu: The Practical Salinity Unit defines salinity in terms of a conductivity ratio of a sample to that of a solution of 32.4356g of KCL at 15°C in 1kg of solution. A sample of seawater at 15°C with a conductivity equal to this KCL solution has a salinity of exactly 35 practical salinity units.

(2) Linear interpolation to be used to establish the limit value for water bodies between these salinity levels based on the median salinity of the water body being assessed.

(3) Water hardness 100 mg/1 CaCO3

(4) Water hardness > 100 mg/1 CaCO3

NUTRIENT CONDITIONS

Nutrient conditions River water body Lake Transitional water body (winter and summer) Coastal water body (winter and summer) Total Ammonia (mg N/l) High status ≤ 0.040 (mean) and ≤ 0.090 (95%ile) Good status ≤ 0.065 (mean) and ≤ 0.140 (95%ile) Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (mg N/l) High status (0 psu (1)) ≤ 1.0 Good status (0 psu (1)) ≤ 2.6 High status (34.5 psu(1)) ≤ 0.17 Good status (34.5 psu(1)) ≤ 0.25 Molybdate Reactive Phosphorus (MRP) High status ≤ 0.025 (mean) and ≤ 0.045 (95%ile) High Status (0-17 psu (1)) ≤ 0.030 (median) Good Status (0-17 psu (1)) ≤ 0.060 (median) (mg P/l) Good status ≤ 0.035 (mean) and ≤ 0.075 (95%ile) (>17-35psu(1)) ≤ 0.030-0.025 (median) (>17-35psu(1)) ≤ 0.060-0.040 (median) Total Phosphorus High status ≤ 0.010 (mean) (mg P/l) Good status ≤ 0.025 (mean) (1) Linear interpolation to be used to establish the limit value for water bodies between these salinity levels based on the median salinity of the water body being assessed.”

4. The 2009 Regulations are amended in Schedule 6 by the substitution of the following Table for Table 12 as inserted by the 2015 Regulations:

“Table 12

The environmental quality standards (EQS) for priority hazardous substances to apply for the purpose of assigning...