A technical report outlining the methodologies used in surface waters and groundwaters
Summary: The purpose of this technical paper is to outline how status is assigned to the remaining unmonitored surface waters and groundwaters.
The EU Water Framework Directive is the main piece of legislation aiming to protect and restore the quality of surface waters (rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters) and groundwaters across the European Union. The Directive sets key environmental objectives for each body of water with information on water status being used to determine if these objectives have been met.
In Ireland, almost 60 per cent of identified Water Framework Directive (WFD) water bodies have a status assigned to them based on the results of the national water quality monitoring programme (see https://www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--assessment/freshwater--marine/irelands-national-water-framework-directive-monitoring-programme-2019-2021.php).
This means that status for those water bodies that are not monitored must be assigned by other means. The purpose of this technical paper is to outline how status is assigned to the remaining unmonitored surface waters and groundwaters.
https://www.epa.ie/media/epa-2020/monitoring-amp-assessment/freshwater-amp-marine/Assigned-Status-Report-cover.jpg