Page 30 - Hydrogeology Principles and Practice

HYDC01 12/5/05 5:44 PM Page 13

Introduction 13

The Water Act 1973 reflected the importance of to further the sustainable use of water resources
water quality aspects and heralded the current inter- and protect the environment. The Act links water
est in groundwater quality. The Act led to the forma- abstraction licensing to local water resource availabil-
tion of 10 catchment-based regional water authorities ity and moves from a licensing system based on pur-
with responsibility for all water and sewerage ser- pose of use to one based on volume consumed. The
vices and for all parts of the water cycle. The Control Act also introduces time-limited licences to give flex-
of Pollution Act 1974 extended the powers of the ibility in making changes to abstraction rights in the
regional water authorities in controlling effluent dis- face of climate change (Section 8.5) and increased
charge to underground strata and limited certain demand. From 2012, licences without a time limit will
activities that could lead to polluting discharges. The be revoked, without a right to compensation, if an
first aquifer protection policies were developed at abstraction causes significant environmental damage.
this time.
The Water Act 1989 separated the water supply
and regulatory functions of the regional water 1.8 European Union Water Framework Directive
authorities, and the new National Rivers Authority
was set up to manage water resources planning, The Water Framework Directive (WFD) establish-
abstraction control, pollution prevention and aquifer ing a framework for Community action in the field
protection. A number of other Acts of Parliament of water policy is a far-reaching piece of legislation
followed including the Environmental Protection governing water resources management and protec-
Act 1990 and the Water Resources Act 1991 that tion in the European Union (Council of European
control the direct and indirect discharge of harmful Communities 2000). The Directive (2000/60/EC)
substances into groundwater and are, in part, an was adopted in December 2000 and requires Member
enactment of the European Communities Directive States to enforce appropriate measures to achieve
on the Protection of Groundwater Against Certain good ecological and chemical status of all water bod-
Dangerous Substances (80/68/EEC). Further con- ies by 2015. The purpose of the Directive is to estab-
trols on discharges were implemented under the lish a framework for the protection of inland surface
Groundwater Regulations 1998. In addition, the waters, transitional waters (estuaries), coastal waters
Water Resources Act 1991 consolidated all the provi- and groundwater to prevent further deterioration of
sions of the Water Resources Act 1963 in respect aquatic ecosystems and, with regard to their water
of the control of groundwater abstractions. In pur- needs, terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands. In its
suing a strategy to protect both individual bore- implementation, the WFD requires an integrated
hole sources and wider groundwater resources, the approach to river basin management and promotes
National Rivers Authority (1992) developed its prac- sustainable water use based on long-term protection
tice and policy for the protection of groundwater of available water resources. A specific purpose of the
with the aim of raising awareness of the vulnerability WFD is to ensure the progressive reduction of pollu-
of groundwater to surface-derived pollution. Follow- tion of groundwater and prevent its further pollution.
ing the establishment of the Environment Agency Article 17 of the WFD requires a proposal
under the Environment Act 1995 (when the National (2003/0210(COD) ) from the Commission for a
Rivers Authority, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Groundwater Daughter Directive leading to the
Pollution and the Waste Regulatory Authorities were adoption of specific measures to prevent and control
brought together), the practice and policy document groundwater pollution and achieve good ground-
for the protection of groundwater was updated water chemical status (Commission of the European
(Environment Agency 1998). Communities 2003). In addition, the proposal intro-
Currently, the Environment Agency is promoting duces measures for protecting groundwater from
a national framework for water resources protection indirect pollution (discharges of pollutants into
in the context of emerging European initiatives, prin- groundwater after percolation through the ground or
cipally the Water Framework Directive (Section 1.8). subsoil). In the proposed Directive, compliance with
The Water Act 2003 is one example of new legislation good chemical status is based on a comparison of