EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations implement Council Directive 2008/105/EC on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy (OJ No. L348, 24.12.2008 p.84) as amended by Directive 2013/39/EU (OJ L226, 24.08.2013, p.1) and set out the classification schemes used under the implementation of Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (OJ No. L327, 22.12.2000 p.1-73).
Regulation 3 and Schedule 1 require the Department to assign a type or types and to apply environmental standards and biological boundary values in respect of rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters.
Regulations 4 to 8 require the Department to apply the standards for priority standards, including biota standards, as set out in Table 47 of Part 2 of Schedule 1.
Regulations 9 to 14 set out requirements for the Department with respect to the monitoring of biota and sediment standards.
Regulations 15 to 17 require the Department to carry out monitoring for substances identified by the Commission on the first Watch List (Commission Implementing Decision 2015/495) as well as substances which are subsequently added to it.
Regulation 19 and Schedule 5 require the Department to apply pH, silver, temperature, salinity standards and endeavour to respect a microbial value with respect to shellfish waters.
Regulations 20 and 21 and Schedules 2, 3 and 4 require the Department to classify surface waters and groundwaters and to report this classification in the River Basin Management Plans produced for the purposes of implementing Directive 2000/60/EC.
Regulation 22 allows for the designation of mixing zones and regulation 23 requires the Department to update the inventories of emissions, discharges and losses in respect or priority substances which have been established for each of the River Basin Districts in Northern Ireland.
Regulation 27 revokes the Water Framework Directive (Priority Substances and Classification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011.
Regulation 28 revokes the Water Framework Directive (Priority Substances and Classification) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012.
Regulation 29 revokes the Water Framework Directive (Priority Substances and Classification) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015.