Environmental Protection Report RIVER QUALITY OBJECTIVES December 1992 WQP/92/039 Author: B L Milford Water Quality Planner NRA C.V.M. Davies Environmental Protection Manager South West Region 5DU-. M- 0<o RIVER QUALITY OBJECTIVES TECHNICAL REPORT NO- WQP/92/039 - - -- SUMMARY River Quality Objectives (RQO's) are a statement of a rivers current and proposed uses and form a national basis for river quality management. RQO's were assigned to all river lengths that were part of the existing routine river monitoring network and to those additional watercourses which were not part of this network but which received discharges from significant effluents. The Department of the Environment (DoE) has confirmed that existing RQO's will remain in place until they are overtaken by the setting of statutory Water Quality Objectives (WQO's). The DoE accepts that the existing system of RQO's continues to serve for the time being as a guide for investment decisions and for effluent discharge consenting purposes. In preparation for the setting of WQO's all existing RQO's have been collated and presented in map and spreadsheet format on a catchment basis. Historical inconsistencies in the original setting of RQO's have been identified and these will be the subject to further investigation and review. B L Milford Water Quality Planner December 1992 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY 047362 L IS T OF CONTENTS PAGE MO. 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 RIVER QUALITY OBJECTIVES 1 3 STATUTORY WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES 2 4 RECOMMENDATIONS 3 5 REFERENCES 4 6 APPENDICES 5 RIVER QUALITY OBJECTIVES TECHNICAL REPORT NO. WQP/92/039 1 INTRODUCTION River Quality Objective's (RQO's) are a statement of a rivers current and proposed uses and form a national basis for river quality management. RQO's provide a system to maintain adequate river quality by the setting of long term objectives for the current and future protection of river water quality. Short term RQO's can be set along with long term RQO's so that a progressive upgrading in river quality can be achieved to an agreed timetable, (Ref. 5.1). This gives the National Rivers Authority (NRA) a basis for determining discharge consent conditions and inconjunction with effluent dischargers the planning of the investment needed to improve river quality. RQO's also provide a control mechanism against which development proposals can be assessed. The potential impact of each development proposal on river water quality is examined to ensure that the quality standards set for each RQO would not be exceeded in the associated watercourse. Water quality protection statements can then be prepared to ensure that any development proposal would not cause or contribute to a watercourse failing to meet its assigned RQO. This report presents the RQO's set for river reaches for the region's 32 river catchments on an individual catchment basis in both map and separate sheet format. 2 RIVER QUALITY OBJECTIVES In 1978, RQO's were assigned to all river lengths^that were part of the existing routine river monitoring network and to those additional watercourses which were not part of the routine network but which received discharges from significant effluents. Since 1978, RQO's have been set for additional watercourses, which were not assigned a RQO in the initial exercise, as a result of determining new effluent discharge consents. The RQO's were determined using the National Water Council's (NWC) River Classification System, (Ref: 5.1), which identified river water quality as being one of five classes as shown in Table 1 below: TABLE 1 NATIONAL WATER COUNCIL - CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM CLASS DESCRIPTION 1A Good quality IB Lesser good quality 2 Fair quality 3 Poor quality 4 Bad quality 1 For the majority of watercourses long term objectives have been identified based on the current quality adequate for the long term protection of the watercourse, (Ref 5.2), and its uses. In a few instances short term objectives were identified based on current quality such as the River Culm from below Cullompton Sewage Treatment Works to the confluence with the River Exe. No formal long term objectives were set with agreed timetable for achievement of these long term objectives. It was the intention that RQO's would be the subject of periodic review. In 1986 during discussions with the Department of the Environment (DoE) concerning the preparation of the 1987 Corporate Plan, the South West Water Authority (SWWA) agreed to undertake a review of the RQO's set in 1978, during 1987. Criteria for review were agreed with DoE and SWWA statutory consultative committees, (Ref 5.3). For each monitored river length where adequate quality data were available, a proposal for a reviewed RQO was made. These reviewed and non-reviewed river lengths and their associated RQO's were consolidated in a schedule. The proposed "reviewed" RQO's were included in the Asset Management Plan prepared by SWWA, (Ref 5.4), and are included in Appendix 6.1. The proposed changes were forwarded to DoE as requested. The reviewed RQO's were not formally agreed due to the impending set up of the National Rivers Authority (NRA). The DoE decided that any review of quality objectives by the "to be formed" NRA would be associated with statutory water quality objectives. 3 STATUTORY WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES The Government's document which contains proposals for setting Statutory Water Quality Objectives, (WQO's), (Ref 5.5), confirms that existing RQO's will remain in place until they are overtaken by the setting of WQO's, (Appendix 6.2). The Government accepts that the existing system of RQO's continues to serve for the time being as a guide for investment decisions including the preparation of Asset Management Plan 2 by water companies for the period 1995-2000. In developing programmes to maintain and improve river water quality it will progressively become necessary to review, and where necessary, revise individual RQO's for particular river stretches, until such time as WQO's are set for these stretches. In preparation for the setting of Statutory Water Quality Objectives (WQO's), (Ref: 5.6), a project team has completed a review of water use for all monitored watercourses, (Ref: 5.7), (Appendix 6.3), and has consolidated all existing RQO's for these watercourses. This report presents in map and spreadsheet format on a catchment basis all existing RQO's for the river network, see Appendix 6.4. 2 The project team identified historical inconsistencies in the setting of RQO's in terms of varying RQO's within a watercourse, differing RQO's between tributaries and receiving watercourse and unachievable RQO's. These inconsistencies are identified in the spreadsheet. This review also identified that certain watercourses linking a monitored tributary and a larger receiving watercourse were not monitored. These watercourses are identified in Appendix 6.5. 4 RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 The reasons for the inconsistencies be clearly identified and the impact of any proposed changes be identified. Action by: Freshwater Officer Quality Regulation Officer 4.2 Unmonitored watercourses with RQO's linking monitored tributaries and receiving waters should have a monitoring point identified. Arrangements for the commencement of monitoring should take place as soon as possible particularly in those catchments for which water quality plans are to be prepared subject to resources being available and the outcome of the national monitoring review which is currently underway. Action by: Freshwater Officer 3 5 REFERENCES 5.1 National Water Council River Water Quality : the Next Stage Review of Discharge Consent Conditions, London 1977. 5.2 South West Water Authority. River Water Quality, the Next Stage. Exeter April 1979. 5.3 South West Water Authority. Review of River Quality Objectives. Report of Head of Environmental Services to Regional Recreation and Conservation Committee. September 1987. 5.4 B L Milford, South West Water Asset Management Plan. Environmental Protection: Current Objectives and Standards. Water Research Centre. Medmenham, January 1989. 5.5 Department of the Environment. River Quality. The Government's Proposals: A Consultation Paper. DoE, London, December 1992. 5.6 National Rivers Authority. Proposals for Statutory Water Quality Objectives: Report of the National Rivers Authority. (Water Quality Series No.5), NRA, Bristol, December 1991. 4 6 APPENDICES - - - - ----- _ 6.1 South West Water Authority - Environmental Quality Objectives and River Quality Objectives. 6.2 River Quality. The Government's Proposals - A Consultation Paper. References to River Quality objectives. 6.3 Project Team and Terms of Reference. 6.4 Catchment Maps and Schedules. 6.5 Watercourses with RQO's linking a tributary to a larger receiving watercourse and not monitored. 5 APPENDIX 6.1 SOUTH WEST WATER AUTHORITY - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OBJECTIVES AND RIVER QUALITY OBJECTIVES s o u m vest raaoi - o w n aifm Httarnw EBUSIER CF vrom gtMHY CBJfcLTlVES MQpJSHSQR EWHCTMNIMj QLMHY OBJBHIVES fH ) RIVES Q JP tX K CfUBCHTCS np^xTuihle affioor : B.I*. 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