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5.1 Integrated water management

This report has considered the aims of the Bathing Water Directive, the Drinking Water Directive and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive in the context of the Water Framework Directive. The different water industry directives have specific roles in delivering their respective objectives. Rather than aiming to meet a particular objective under a water industry directive in isolation, consideration of the synergies between each of the water industry directives and the WFD can lead to benefits such as better integration of needs in the design of more cost effective measures in order to improve the status and quality of our waters. The WFD with river basin management plans provide a powerful framework for achieving integrated water management and stakeholder dialogue across all relevant sectors.

Water of good quality for human consumption and recreation is intrinsically linked with water that is good for the environment, and all are related to the same pressures and drivers; pollution from diffuse and point sources. For example, water from the environment supplies drinking water. Drinking water is treated to protect people from the risks posed by raw water. Common elements between the DWD and the WFD are the protection of the raw water source and its catchment. The consequence of lower raw water quality is a higher investment in treatment or water transfers, and higher water prices for the consumers. Considering sustainability on a broad scale, an improved understanding of the relationships and synergies between the DWD and the WFD would help integrated decision-making.

Under the WFD regime, full implementation of basic measures is required, including compliance with the UWWTD. Going beyond the requirements of the UWWTD to improve wastewater treatment may be identified in river basin management plans as a necessary measure for the water body to reach good status. Meanwhile, the improvements to a wastewater treatment plant undertaken to meet the UWWTD could feed into an overall improvement in status under the WFD. Focusing on the desired outcome and thinking more broadly than sector-specific solutions can enable improved information for decision-makers.