Drinking water intakes and diffuse pollution

A study made in 2015 by the International Office for Water (IOWater), the National Agency for Water and Aquatic Environments (ONEMA) and the Water and Biodiversity Department (DEB) of the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, identified and analyzed the practices of several European countries as regards diffuse pollution control to protect intakes of water intended for human consumption.

 

This work was motivated by the fact that diffuse pollution, mainly from agriculture, is a major current issue, as recently reminded by the European Commission in its report of March 2015 on the progress made in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

 

This compendium of good practices also contributes to the activities related to the Science and Policy Interface (SPI) led by ONEMA and IOWater for several years.

 

Four countries were studied: France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany.

 

The final report consists of a cross analysis of all collected information, in French and English, and appendices comprising a detailed profile sheet for each country.

 

The study was published in the IOWater collection of Technical Syntheses.

 

Each appended country profile includes a presentation of its direct catchment protection strategy and action plans that more specifically concern the control of diffuse pollution of raw water,