Using Article 4(4) in the Fell Sandstone Groundwater Body, North East England Tim Besien WG GW Meeting, Malta 25-26 April 2017

Till Fell Sandstone GW Body

Land Use

Developing a conceptual model

Nitrate concentrations

Status and trends

Where is the nitrate coming from? Agricultural fertiliser Small sewage discharges

Measures Awareness raising campaign targeted at small sewage discharge owners Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative NVZ action programme Soil Analysis (SMN) Soil Mapping and Direct measurement of N Safeguard Zone designation Drilling additional monitoring boreholes Improved conceptual understanding

Justification for applying Art 4(4) Local hydrogeologists have developed a detailed conceptual understanding of the gwb Local hydrogeologists assess a) time lag in unsaturated and saturated zones and b) if measures are sufficiently robust to deliver good status in the long term ‘Natural conditions’ exemption used to extend the timescale for achieving good status Good status will be achieved by 2040

Lessons learnt Start by developing a strong conceptual understanding Before using the Art 4(4) exemption local hydrogeolgists must be confident that the measures will be robust enough to deliver good status in the long-term