1. One-out-all-out and other indicators
Diederik van der Molen
Barry van de Glind
The Netherlands
9 October 2013

2. Examples of effect one-out-all-out in the Netherlands
Chemical status
O-o-a-o for priority substances
99% of individual measurements on priority substances: good
About 20% of the surface water bodies: failing to achieve GCS
We welcome new presentation in Directive 2013/39/EU
ubiquitous substances
Ecological status
O-o-a-o for 4 biological groups
O-o-a-o for 6 general physico-chemical elements
O-o-a-o for about 100 river basin specific pollutants
in 0.4% of the surface water bodies 100+ parameters are good
9 October 2013

3. NL: 0.4% of water bodies in GES/GEP, but
2/3 of the water bodies quality element Nutrients was good
25% of the water bodies quality element Fish was good
34% of the water bodies quality element Phytoplankton was good
19% of the water bodies all river basin specific pollutants were good
Outcomes are depending on the monitoring effort and completeness of the assessment system
Results of member states are not comparable yet
ES and other member states indicated that GES-status will downgrade now they include ‘fish’
9 October 2013

4. EC discussion-paper in SCG (30 Sep): One-out-all-out method is…..
… “one of the key pillars of the WFD”
… “It ensures that all impacts are taken into account in the status assessment”
The value of o-o-a-o is not at stake! However:
… “the progress achieved in some elements/parameters may be hidden by the lack of progress in others”
… “This may result in an overly pessimistic view on the progress”
In addition we think that one-out-all-out ...
… does not inform on the relevant pressures
… does not give a good illustration of the water status
<> perception of public and stake holders
9 October 2013

5. SCG: Additional indicators are indispensible for: Informing the public
Public & political support for funding
EU-wide “common indicators” necessary for
comparability between member states,
uniformity to the public,
Status for national political debate.
Common indicators should be available for endorsement by WD in December for use in RBMP-2.
“Free indicators” helpful for national use.
Task working group DIS together with WG A and E.
9 October 2013

6. Dutch proposals for additional common indicators
Better illustration of the water status
Better indication of the progress of the status
Based on data already available in WISE
Some suggestions for “free indicators”
May be based on additional data, not in WISE
Addressing re-delineation of water bodies (EC)
Addressing weight-factors as length of water bodies (AT, DE)
9 October 2013

7. Common indicator ecological status (1)
Diagram with all 4 biological quality elements and total (o-o-a-o)
% of all surface water bodies (= main WFD reporting unit)
Including ‘not applicable’ (e.g. phytoplakton in rivers)
Including ‘unknown’ (missing values)
(light green = biology good, but problem with phys-chem or rbsp)
Better illustration of the ecological status of swb
9 October 2013

8. Common indicator ecological status (2)
Better illustration of the ecological status of swb
Better indicator for the progress in status
As a number: average % high/good for all biological quality elements (of the assessed water bodies) = 24% in 2009 and 37% in 2015 (hypothetical….)
(And/or as a number: average % unknown for all relevant water bodies)
9 October 2013

9. Additional common indicator: river basin specific pollutants
Diagram with threshold-exceeding river basin specific pollutants
In % of all surface water bodies (including ‘unknown’)
Better indicator for the illustration of the status and the pressure
2nd column and/or
% indicator
Progress in status
Different rbsp and standards within river basins and between member states
9 October 2013

10. Additional common indicator: physico-chemical elements
Diagram with threshold exceeding physico-chemical elements
In % of all surface water bodies (including ‘unknown’)
Better indicator for the illustration of the status and pressures
2nd column and/or
% indicator
Progress in status
9 October 2013

11. Free indicator swb: pressures ecological status
Specific diagrams for the illustration of pressures:
Eutrophication: combination of phytoplankton in lakes/coastal, phytobenthos in rivers
Connectivity (only rivers): metrics on migrating fish
Hydromorphology: macro-invertebrates
2nd column and
% indicator for Progress in status
Use of partial biological indices requires additional information compared to current reporting sheets
9 October 2013

12. Free indicator gwb: use of individual tests
2009: o-o-a-o
2015: o-o-a-o
Groundwater dependent ecosystems
Water abstraction
Alternative:
Alternative:
9 October 2013
Use of partial biological indices requires additional information compared to current reporting sheets
9 October 2013

13. Free indicators: weight factors and re-delineation
Use of length (volume, etc) of water bodies instead of %
Re-delineation of water bodies
Comparison 2009 – 2015 based on monitoring stations ?
Use of indicators based on % (not) failing of all assessments ?
Difficult not to loose information ...
9 October 2013

14. Conclusions and recommendations
One-out-all-out necessary as indication for remaining significant water management issues
Additional indicators needed for
Presentation of the status
Indication of the progress
Visualisation of pressures
Need for common indicators (in Dec) based on available data
1 diagram & 1 %-indicator for biology and total ecology (o-o-a-o)
1 supporting diagram & 1 %-indicator for rbsp
1 supporting diagram & 1 %-indicator for physico-chemistry
Way forward
Agreement in WG DIS, A and E in Oct
Proposal to SCG 4-5 Nov 2013
Endorsement Water Directors in Dec 2013
Further elaboration on (harmonised) free indicators in 2014
9 October 2013