8. REPORTING AT RBD/SUB-UNIT LEVEL FOR GROUNDWATER (SCHEMA GWMET)

Article 5 of the WFD requires Member States to identify the location and boundaries of groundwater bodies that will be used for assessing progress with, and achievement of the WFDs Environmental Objectives.

Identifying the size of groundwater bodies was an important parameter that had implications on the design of the monitoring programmes and on the development of appropriate programmes of measures. For groundwater bodies, the WFD requires Member States to further characterise groundwater bodies at risk taking account of the relevant information listed in Annex II 2.2. Full identification should have been completed by 2010 for publication in the first RBMPs. The characterisation of groundwater bodies may have been reviewed and revised as part of the review and update (if necessary) of the Article 5 analysis, required by December 2013.

Article 5 of the WFD also requires Member States to analyse the characteristics of groundwater bodies and to provide a summary report on groundwater body characterisation.

Class GWMethodologies

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;

gwCharacterisationReference - Required.(ReferenceType)

There are no standard methodologies for the delineation and characterisation of groundwater bodies, therefore no targeted questions have been developed. Member States should, however, provide information relating to the initial characterisation and further characterisation of groundwater bodies. See Section 8.2.3.3 for the detailed information that is required.

Guidance on contents of RBMPs/background documents

(Please see the full text of this sub-section in the WFD Reporting Guidance 2016 or above chapter)

Include here any comments that relate to the information contained in this sub-section of the Reporting Guidance, namely concerning information you think could/should be reported electronically and information which you believe should not be included in the River Basin Management Plans or background documents.

Class GWMethodologies (continued)

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;

diminutionDamage - Required.(YesNoNotApplicable_Union_Enum)

Indicate whether diminution of surface water chemistry and ecology and damage to groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems due to transfer of pollutants from the groundwater body has been considered in the assessment of the chemical status.

methodCriterionExtentExceedance - Required.(MethodCriteriumExtentExeedence_Enum)

Report which method or criterion has been applied to estimate the extent of the groundwater body that exceeds groundwater quality standards or threshold values, and what extent of the groundwater body exceeding groundwater quality standard or threshold value is considered acceptable for confirming good groundwater chemical status. 

proportionExceedanceAllowed - Conditional.

If Method 1, Method 2 or Method 3 has been used to estimate the extent of the groundwater body that exceeds groundwater quality standards or threshold values, state the proportion (%) of monitoring sites, area or volume (as appropriate) where exceedance is considered acceptable for confirming good groundwater chemical status.

impactsGWAbstractionBalance - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Has whether the available groundwater resource is not exceeded by the long term annual average rate of abstraction been considered when assessing groundwater quantitative status? 

impactsGWAbstractionSWObjective - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Has failure to achieve the Environmental Objectives specified under WFD Article 4 for associated surface water bodies resulting from anthropogenic water level alteration or change in flow conditions been considered when assessing groundwater quantitative status?

impactsGWAbstractionSWDiminutionStatus - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Has  significant diminution in the status of surface waters resulting from anthropogenic water level alteration or change in flow conditions been considered when assessing groundwater quantitative status?

impactsGWAbstractionDamageGWDE - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Has significant damage to groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems resulting from an anthropogenic water level alteration been considered when assessing groundwater quantitative status? 

impactsGWAbstractionSalineIntrusion - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Has regional saline or other intrusions resulting from anthropogenically induced sustained changes in flow direction been considered when assessing groundwater quantitative status? 

availableGroundwaterResource - Required.(availableGroundwaterResource)

Indicate whether the criterion of ‘available groundwater resource’ has been applied in accordance with WFD Article 2(27).

needsTerrestrialEcosystems - Required.(YesNoNotApplicable_Union_Enum)

Indicate whether the needs of the terrestrial ecosystems associated to groundwater bodies have been assessed. Report ‘Not applicable’ if there are no terrestrial ecosystems associated to groundwater bodies. 

balanceRechargeAbstraction - Required.(BalanceRechargeAbstraction_Enum)

Report the approach used to assess the balance between recharge and abstraction of groundwater.

trendAssessmentPerformed - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Indicate whether trend assessment in groundwater pollutants been performed.

trendAssessmentMethodology - Conditional.(YesNoCode_Enum)

If trend assessment in groundwater pollutants was performed, indicate whether a methodology for identifying significant and upward trends in any pollutant’s concentration has been applied. 

timeSeries - Conditional.

If trend assessment in groundwater pollutants was performed, state the starting and finishing year for the assessment in the format YYYY--YYYY.

statisticalElements - Conditional.(StatisticalElements_Enum)

If trend assessment in groundwater pollutants was performed, select which statistical element was used from the enumeration list. 

additionalTrendAssessment - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Indicate whether additional trend assessments were applied in order to assess the impacts of existing plumes of pollution (according to GWD Article 5(5).

startingPointTrendReversal - Required.(StartingPointTrendReversal_Enum)

Report the starting points for trend reversal, at which level, and whether there is already a methodology available for the assessment of trend reversal.

percentageStartingPoint - Required.

If the starting points for trend reversal are not 75 % of the groundwater quality standards and threshold values, provide the percentage starting point. 

trendReversalMethodology - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Indicate whether a methodology for assessing trend reversal has been established. 

thresholdValueElementProtectionEcosystem - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Has the protection of aquatic ecosystems (surface waters) been considered during the establishment of the groundwater threshold values? 

thresholdValueElementProtectionGWDE - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Has the protection of groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems (e.g. wetlands) been considered during the establishment of the groundwater threshold values? 

thresholdValueElementProtectionUses - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Has the actual and potential legitimate uses and functions of groundwater (e.g. drinking water, irrigation, industrial use) been considered during the establishment of the groundwater threshold values? 

thresholdValueElementSalineIntrusion - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Have saline or other intrusions been considered during the establishment of the groundwater threshold values? 

thresholdValuesBackgroundLevels - Required.(ThresholdValuesBackgroundLevels_Enum)

Report whether background levels of naturally occurring substances have been considered within the establishment of threshold values. 

transboundaryGWBPresent - Required.(YesNoCode_Enum)

Indicate whether there are any transboundary groundwater bodies in the RBD. 

transboundaryThresholdValues - Conditional.(YesNoCode_Enum)

If transboundary groundwater bodies are identified, indicate whether the establishment of threshold values has been co-ordinated with the neighbouring countries concerned.

gwMethodologiesChemicalClassificationReference - Required.(ReferenceType)

Provide references or hyperlinks to the documents and sections where relevant information relating to methodologies for the classification of chemical status of groundwater, upward trend assessment and trend reversal can be found.  Guidance on what should be included in this document is provided in Section 8.3.3.3

gwMethodologiesQuantitativeClassificationReference - Required.(ReferenceType)

Provide references or hyperlinks to the documents and sections where relevant information relating to methodologies for the classification of quantitative status of groundwater can be found.  Guidance on what should be included in this document is provided in Section 8.3.3.3.

gwMethodologiesTransboundaryReference - Conditional.(ReferenceType)

Provide references or hyperlinks to the documents and sections where relevant information relating to transboundary co-ordination of threshold value setting can be found.  Guidance on what should be included in this document is provided in Section 8.3.3.3.

Class ThresholdValue

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;

pollutantIndicatorCode - Required.(ChemicalSubstances_Union_Enum)

Select each pollutant or indicator of pollution in turn from the enumeration list for which threshold values have been established. 

pollutantIndicatorCodeOther - Conditional.

If ‘pollutantIndicatorCode’ 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.

thresholdValue - Required.

Report the threshold value(s) established for the selected pollutant or indicator of pollution.

thresholdValueUnit - Required.(UnitOfMeasure_Enum)

Report the unit of measurement of the threshold value or range of threshold values. 

thresholdValueScale - Required.(GeographicalScale_Enum)

For each pollutant or indicator of pollution and threshold value or range of threshold values, report the level at which the threshold value is established. 

startingPointTrendReversal - Required.

Report the percentage starting point for trend reversal.

Guidance on contents of RBMPs/background documents

(Please see the full text of this sub-section in the WFD Reporting Guidance 2016 or above chapter)

Include here any comments that relate to the information contained in this sub-section of the Reporting Guidance, namely concerning information you think could/should be reported electronically and information which you believe should not be included in the River Basin Management Plans or background documents.