1. GWDTE: approach in the Netherlands
Wilko Verweij 1
Saskia Lukacs 1
Mari van Dreumel 2
Douwe Jonkers 2
1: RIVM
2: Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment
GWDTE: approach in the Netherlands | 16 April 2013

2. Introduction Parties involved WFD Standards Lessons learnt Conclusions
Contents
Introduction
Parties involved
WFD
Standards
Lessons learnt
Conclusions
GWDTE: approach in the Netherlands | 16 April 2013

3. Introduction Many parties involved
In 2004, no national overview available of GWDTE’s
Since that time, many actions taken

4. Parties involved in WFD and GWDTE’s
Directive
WFD
Natura 2000
Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment
Ministry of Economic Affairs
National level
Provinces: groundwater quality & groundwater quantity (drinking water)
Waterboards: regional surface water and groundwater quantity
Nature Conservation organisations: management of nature reserves
Regional level
Specific water requirements feed into WFD

5. Identification of GWDTE’s
The following areas were treated as ‘GWDTE’s’:
Natura 2000 areas
most desiccated nature areas
some provinces: additional areas

6. Determine groundwater dependence and damage
First RBMP-cycle: no GWDTE’s included
not in characterisation
not in threshold values
not in status assessment
in measures: research to develop
method in order to include in
second RBMP-cycle

7. Determine groundwater dependence and damage
Second RBMP-cycle: choice to use knowledge of nature conservation organisations as much as possible
Provinces ask nature conservation organisations :
“Are your areas groundwater dependent?”
“Are your areas damaged due to groundwater?”
If so, action will be taken
First test of this approach:
second cycle of characterisation (2013)

8. Monitoring
For WFD:
National monitoring network of quantity (hydraulic head)
Equally distributed over country; not specifically close to GWDTE’s
National monitoring network for chemistry in groundwater (10 and 25 m deep)
No national monitoring of groundwater in GWDTE’s
National monitoring of aquatic ecosystems by waterboards

9. Monitoring Water and soil, not specific for WFD:
other national networks like Network Acidification and Network Effects of Minerals Policy
Nature areas:
Nature conservation organisations monitor GWDTE’s according to their own needs (shallow, quantity and chemistry; not same parameters as national monitoring network)

10. Approach for GWDTE groundwater standards
Dutch method for management of Nature reserves:
Description of nature reserves in Nature Target Types (NTT). (correspond (more or less) with European habitat descriptions)
NTT: - target species (plants and animals) - abiotic conditions: groundwater level, water quality etc.
The abiotic conditions for common or
important NTT that depend on groundwater
were selected: resulting in a list that
contains 13 nature target types.

11. Habitats/ Nature Target Types Water origin Groundwater
Level (springtime average)
Ranges of optimal nutrient concentrations
(mg/l)
pH value
Salinity
(mg Cl/l)
Wet dune valley
Mostly groundwater, rain
Above ground level- 40 cm below
Total_N:NO3_N: NH4_N:
PO4_P:
Total_P:
0.3
0.15
0.4
0.01
0.015
- 0.6
0.45
0.5
0.04
0.06
6.5 – 7.5
<150
Stream valley
Forest
Groundwater and surface water
Total_N: NO3_N: NH4_N:
0.6
0.46
- 1.0
0.7
1.0
0.07
5.5 – 6.5
Peat bog
Rain and groundwater
0.35
0,24
0.016
GWDTE: approach in the Netherlands | 16 April 2013

12. Analysis
In 2007 analysis of difficulties and opportunities for all N2000 areas: general insight in groundwater related problems in the different N2000 areas
General conclusions: Insufficient levels of groundwater of the required quality lead to drought problems and local acidification and eutrophication
Without standards for groundwater levels
and nutrient concentrations, damage to
GWDTE is unavoidable
GWDTE: approach in the Netherlands | 16 April 2013

13. Lessons learnt Use knowledge of nature conservation organisations
Not everything can be perfect first time
Make information available at national level

14. Remaining constraints
Technical point of view:
chemistry in WFD-network monitored too deep for GWDTE’s
attenuation and dilution: how to deal with?
from other networks: negative influence by agriculture significant (90%)
Policy point of view:
critical substances are ecosystem-dependent; no need to adapt Annex I and II of GWD
no TV without AF and DF
prevent and limit are first line of defence and therefore critical

15. Conclusions GWDTE remains difficult Steps set to tackle problem
Many stakeholders involved
Combine local knowledge of nature conservation organisations with national collection of information
In few years we will know whether this works