The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017

The environmental objectives

13.—(1) The environmental objectives referred to in regulation 12 are, subject to regulations 14 to 19, the following objectives for the relevant type of water body or area.

(2) For surface water bodies, the objectives are to—

(a) prevent deterioration of the status of each body of surface water;

(b) protect, enhance and restore each body of surface water (other than an artificial or heavily modified body of surface water) with the aim of achieving good ecological status and (subject to paragraph (3)) good surface water chemical status (if not already achieved) by 22nd December 2021;

(c) protect and enhance each artificial or heavily modified body of surface water with the aim of achieving good ecological potential and (subject to paragraph (3)) good surface water chemical status (if not already achieved) by 22nd December 2021;

(d) aim to progressively reduce pollution from priority substances and aim to cease or phase out emissions, discharges and losses of priority hazardous substances.

(3) The objectives in paragraph (2)(b) and (c) are to be read as though they referred to achieving good surface water chemical status—

(a) in relation to substances 2, 5, 15, 20, 22, 23 and 28 in the table of priority substances, by 22nd December 2021;

(b) in relation to substances 34 to 55 in the table of priority substances, by 22nd December 2027.

(4) For shellfish water protected areas, in addition to the objectives under paragraph (2) for the surface water bodies in which they are located, the objectives are such objectives as are necessary or desirable to improve or protect the shellfish water protected area in order to support shellfish life and growth and to contribute to the high quality of shellfish products suitable for human consumption as the Department may determine.

(5) For groundwater bodies, the objectives are to—

(a) prevent deterioration of the status of each body of groundwater;

(b) prevent or limit the input of pollutants into groundwater;

(c) protect, enhance and restore each body of groundwater, and ensure a balance between abstraction and recharge of groundwater, with the aim of achieving good groundwater chemical status and good groundwater quantitative status (if not already achieved) by 22nd December 2021;

(d) reverse any significant and sustained upward trend in the concentration of any pollutant resulting from the impact of human activity in order to progressively reduce pollution of groundwater.

(6) For each protected area falling under regulation 10, other than a shellfish water protected area, the objective is to achieve compliance with any standards and objectives required by or under any EU instrument in accordance with which the individual area or body is protected—

(a) by 22nd December 2021 (if not already achieved); or

(b) if different, any date for compliance set in that EU instrument.

(7) Where two or more of the objectives set under this regulation apply to the same body of water, or the same part of a body of water, the most stringent objective applies.