L6 - UK water quality and paper activity

Question 1

Do cladocerans have asexual or sexual reproduction?

Answer 1

Cladoerans cycle between asexual and sexual reproduction
- Asexual eggs immediately develop into tiny versions of adults
Sexual eggs - called ephippium - are desiccation resistant and can last for decades in sediments

Question 2

What are the bodies of water used for in the UK?

Answer 2

Agriculture, industry, recreation, and drinking water

Question 3

What agency governs/regulates water quality in the UK?

Answer 3

The Environment Agency

Question 4

What are the Environment Agencies major concerns with UK’s water ways?

Answer 4

Pollution
Ecosystem
Sustainability
Stress on biotic components

Question 5

What are the main sources of organic pollution in UK rivers?

Answer 5

In order of contribution amount:
Pig slurry
Cattle slurry
Liquid effluents draining from slurry stores
Dilute dairy parlour and yard washing
Milk
Untreated domestic sewage
Treated domestic sewage
Household products

Question 6

When was the water framework detective (WFD) introduced and implemented?

Answer 6

Introduced in 2000, implemented in 2003

Question 7

What is WFD?

Answer 7

Key regulation about water quality.

Question 8

What does WFD apply to?

Answer 8

rivers
lakes
estuaries
coastal waters (10 miles from coast)
Groundwater

Question 9

What are the water framework directive (WFD) policies?

Answer 9

Eu countries must:
- Maintain “ecosystem health”
- Where necessary, restore “ecosystem health”
- “No deterioration” allowed
- Achieve “good ecological and good chemical status” in all water bodies by 2015

Question 10

With the meaning of ‘good’ not being defined until 2009, what guidance did the UK use to assess water quality?

Answer 10

the RIVPACS Grades

Question 11

What are the RIVPACS Grades?

Answer 11

Grade A - very good
Grade B - good
Grade C - fairly good
Grade D - fair
Grade C - poor
Grade F - Bad

Question 12

How many km of rivers does the UK have?

Answer 12

~30,000 km

Question 12

What is the biggest pollutant in rivers in the UK?

Answer 12

Agriculture

Question 12

Compare the water quality in the UK between 1990 and 2009.

Answer 12

1990:
England: 55% Good or Excellent
Wales: 79% Good or Excellent

2009:
England: 72% Good or Excellent
Wales: 87% Good or Excellent

*Water quality increased by 17% and 8% in 19 years, between 1990 and 2009. This is good but very slow.

Question 13

What improvements were made between 1990-2009 to improve UK water quality?

Answer 13

• Starting to reject bad planning applications
• Starting to enforce discharge clean-ups (via successful court action)
• Response = improved behaviour from industry, sewage works, & farmers

Question 14

What happened in 2009, after the EU decided what ‘good’ meant?

Answer 14

Water quality metrics dropped drastically

2009 EA’s classification: 72% = Good
2009 WFD classification: 22% = Good

Question 15

What was the UK’s management plan (cycle 1) - 2015?

Answer 15

• Agreement made between the EU and UK EA: In 2015 some water bodies will improve to ‘good’
• Goal: 26% (2009) to 32% (2015)
• Result: the % of “Good” water bodies went down, i.e. deterioration

Question 16

What was the UK’s management plan (cycle 2) - 2021?

Answer 16

• EU doesn’t perform oversight anymore, but the WFD was directly transposed into a domestic law for the UK
• Result: some movement of specific water bodies, but the overall % of “Good” essentially the same
• Majority of UK water bodies classified as moderate, bad, or poor

Question 17

What is the overall water quality trajectory?

Answer 17

• Still significantly improved from 80s/90s levels
• Noticeable decline since 2009 → complaints from citizens and environmental groups