Water Framework Directive (WFD) Assessments

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is legislation under which Great Britain is obliged to meet targets for the ecological and chemical status of waterbodies. Any works which could affect the hydro-morphology, ecology or water quality of any classified waterbody requires an assessment under the WFD to demonstrate how any adverse impacts will be mitigated and, where possible, the status of the waterbody enhanced in order to achieve the required good status targets.

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Assessment

The Directive aims for "good status" of all ground and surface water — rivers, lakes, transitional water and coastal waters. All waterbodies have been assessed and are included within the local River Basin Management Plan (RBMP).

Surface Water Criteria

The ecological status of surface waters is assessed according to the following criteria:

Biological quality — fish, benthic invertebrates, aquatic flora
Hydromorphological quality — river bank structure, continuity of the channel or substrate of the river bed
Physico-chemical quality — temperature, oxygenation and nutrient conditions

The chemical status refers to the environmental quality standards for specific water pollutants.

Groundwater Criteria

Groundwater bodies are assessed according to their quantitative status and chemical status.

Proposed Development

Any development scheme which has potential to threaten the qualitative or quantitative status of any waterbody is likely to require a WFD assessment. The assessment is typically hydrology-led, with specific input from an ecological specialist where required. Water Environment have good working relationships with ecological consultants who are able to assist with completion of WFD assessments.

Construction must have no permanent, unmitigated effects which cause any deterioration in the current status of any surface-water or groundwater body. We recommend that potential developments consider any implications to waterbodies on-site at the earliest stage — with careful consideration, required mitigation can be sensitively and cost-effectively included in the design.

River and wetland waterbody assessed for WFD compliance at Conningbrook, Kent

How we work

Screening — we identify the waterbodies affected and screen the scheme against the relevant River Basin Management Plan to establish whether a WFD assessment is required.
Impact assessment — we assess the potential effects on hydromorphology, water quality and ecology, drawing on our hydrology and modelling and ecological specialists where needed.
Mitigation and enhancement — we design mitigation to prevent deterioration and, where possible, enhancement that contributes to good status, built into the engineering design.
Reporting — we produce the WFD compliance assessment for submission to the Local Planning Authority and the Environment Agency.

Why Water Environment?

A WFD assessment is hydrology-led, and hydrology and river engineering are exactly what we do. We assess the impact and then design the mitigation and enhancement that secures compliance — channel, drainage and habitat works delivered by the same team, with our ecological partners brought in where specialist input is required. We work across all of England and Wales.

We are members of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and hold professional qualifications with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).