Can we use existing UK standards such as those applied under the Dangerous Substances Directive, for the WFD?

Annex V of the Water Framework Directive sets out very specific requirements for how the standards for specific pollutants need to be developed.

The prescribed methodology includes the application of range of safety factors to reflect our scientific understanding of the toxic impacts on aquatic plants and animals. Where our understanding is poor, a larger factor is applied and this may result in some proposed standards being more precautionary than currently applied in the UK. It should however be noted that where the dataset is good the standards produced are not dissimilar to existing standards.

Existing DSD standards were developed under a different methodology, which is not necessarily consistent with the WFD requirements, and so cannot be used for WFD purposes without detailed review. We have prioritised the list of substances in the WFD, which includes some of those already listed under DSD.

Developing EQSs? is time-consuming and expensive. As part of our review, we will assess those we think are not likely to meet WFD requirements or where new data has become available and will develop EQS for these first. Where our current standards for DSD are not likely to change we may use the existing standards to support WFD implementation.

The European Commission has also been developing standards for priority substances. We have taken these developments into account in the scientific review process and in developing the new WFD standards.

Any UKTAG Proposals for new or revised standards will have been developed following the WFD methodology and using any new information that has become available. In some cases, this has resulted in stricter standards than existing ones. In other cases, where the approach gave less strict standards, or where we felt the data was inadequate, we have recommended keeping the existing standards, to avoid the risk of deterioration of water status, as required under the WFD.

In any case, DSD standards will still be applied in consents process according to the requirements of the DSD until 2013, when it will be revoked, as the WFD supersedes it. The environment agencies will also consider any substance that leads to risk of a failure of water body as part of the river basin planning process.