3.5. Chemical status of groundwater and exemptions

3.5. Chemical status of groundwater and exemptions

Annex V of the WFD specifies how Member States are to monitor groundwater and present chemical status classification results. The detailed provisions and criteria for status assessments are laid down in the Groundwater Directive (GWD) (2006/118/EC).

In addition to the reporting requirements of the WFD, the GWD introduces several additional reporting requirements to ensure that groundwater body status has been defined according to its provisions, and in a consistent and comparable way across the EU.

Both the WFD and GWD require that the results of the chemical status assessment and the methodology used to classify groundwater bodies are reported. The requirements are laid down in WFD Annex V, GWD Article 4, and Annex III (reporting requirements in GWD Article 4.4 and Annex III point 5).

Articles 4(4) to 4(9) of the WFD allow Member States to extend the deadlines for the achievement of good status or to set other objectives under certain specified circumstances. Additional information can be found in the CIS Guidance Document No. 20: Exemptions to the Environmental Objectives agreed in 2005.

Articles 4(4) to 4(9) go on to require Member States to provide information in the RBMP regarding such extensions or other objectives and their reasons.

Class: GroundWaterBody (GW chemical status)

1. Please include here any comments which apply to all the schema elements in this Class.
2. In addition to those general schema element level comments, we welcome your views on: a) whether you think this Class can be simplified;  and b) whether you think the linkages with other reporting Classes or Schemas can be improved, and how;

gwAtRiskChemical - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Report whether the groundwater body is at risk of failing to be of good chemical status.

gwEORiskChemical - Conditional.(EQORiskChemical_Enum)

If the groundwater body is at risk of failing to be of good chemical status, select the Environmental Objective to which the risk is related from the enumeration list. 

gwChemicalStatusValue - Required.(StatusCode_Enum)

Indicate the chemical status of the groundwater body, based on the most recently assessed status of the groundwater body.

gwChemicalReasonsForFailure - Conditional.(ReasonsForFailure_Enum)

If the groundwater body is of poor chemical status, select reasons from the enumeration list. 

gwChemicalAssessmentYear - Required.

Provide the year on which the assessment of status is based. This may be the year that the groundwater body was monitored. In case of grouping this may be the year in which monitoring took place in the surface water bodies within a group that are used to extrapolate results to non-monitored groundwater bodies within the same group. A period is possible (e.g. 2011--2013).

gwChemicalAssessmentConfidence - Required.(Confidence_Enum)

Indicate the confidence on the chemical status assigned.

gwChemicalStatusExpectedGoodIn2015 - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Indicate whether it is expected that this groundwater body will achieve good chemical status by the end of 2015.

gwChemicalStatusExpectedAchievementDate - Conditional.(GoodStatus_Enum)

If good chemical status will NOT be achieved by 2015 (gwChemicalStatusExpectedGoodIn2015 is No), report the date by which it is expected that it will be achieved in full. The methodology of this assessment should be clearly explained in the RBMP or background documents (reference reported under classification methodologies). If good chemical status will not be achieved by 2015, exemptions should be applied. Please report the date by which it is expected that good chemical status will be achieved in full, not the date relating to individual exemptions.

Class: GWPollutant

1. Please include here any comments which apply to all the schema elements in this Class.
2. In addition to those general schema element level comments, we welcome your views on: a) whether you think this Class can be simplified;  and b) whether you think the linkages with other reporting Classes or Schemas can be improved, and how;

gwPollutantCode - Required.(ChemicalSubstances_Union_Enum)

Select each pollutant and indicator for which one or more of the following circumstances occur in the relevant water body. 

gwPollutantOther - Conditional.

If ‘gwPollutantCode’ is ‘EEA_00-00-0 Other chemical parameter’ please indicate in this field the CAS number (if relevant) and the name of the pollutant or indicator.

gwPollutantCausingRisk - Required.(YesNoUnknownUnclear_Union_Enum)

Indicate if the pollutant or indicator is casing risk of failing to be of good chemical status in the relevant water body.

gwPollutantCausingFailure - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Indicate if the pollutant or indicator is causing failure to achieve good chemical status.

gwPollutantUpwardTrend - Required.(YesNoUnknownUnclear_Union_Enum)

Indicate whether there is a significant and sustained upward trend in the concentration of pollutant(s) or indicator(s) of pollution.

gwPollutantTrendReversal - Required.(YesNoUnknownNotApplicableCode_Enum)

Indicate whether there is a trend reversal in the concentration of the pollutant(s) or indicator(s) of pollution.

gwPollutantsExceedancesNotCounted - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Indicate if there are exceedances of the pollutant or indicator which are not considered as failures to achieving good chemical status (cases in which Article 4(2)c of the GWD applies).

gwPollutantBackgroundLevelSet - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Indicate whether a background level of natural substances has been set.

gwPollutantBackgroundLevelValue - Conditional.

If a background level is set, report the numeric value or range of the natural background level.

gwPollutantBackgroundLevelUnit - Conditional. (UnitOfMeasure_Enum)

If a background level is set, select the relevant units for the natural background concentrations or levels (the reporting unit of Conductivity is milli Siemens per metre).

Class: GWChemicalExemptionType

1. Please include here any comments which apply to all the schema elements in this Class.
2. In addition to those general schema element level comments, we welcome your views on: a) whether you think this Class can be simplified;  and b) whether you think the linkages with other reporting Classes or Schemas can be improved, and how;

gwChemicalExemptionType - Required.(GWChemicalExemptionType_Union_Enum)

Report which type(s) of exemption(s) apply if good chemical status is not expected to be achieved by 2015 for that pollutant or indicator. 

gwChemicalExemptionPressure - Conditional.(SignificantPressureType_Enum)

If any GWD Article 6(3) or WFD Article 4(4) or 4(5) exemptions apply to this groundwater body for chemical status, report the significant pressure(s) that are causing failure in order to justify the exemption(s).