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What's it all about? Water Framework Directive
The Water Framework Directive(WFD) is the most ambitious project ever undertaken by Europe's water companies, their suppliers and regulators.
Touching on all aspects of the industry from water abstraction, through asset management to customer billing, the WFD will affect all of us in our roles as domestic customers or as suppliers to the sector.
The Water Framework Directive is intended to ensure that all European countries attain "good quality" or better for all inland waterways as well as coastal waters up to 1 km offshore.
With the cost of implementing the Directive costing the water industry upwards of £400m a year, the impacts on the sector, its customers and supply chain are significant.
But the success of the WFD is not reliant on the water companies alone: Government agencies including DEFRA and the Environment Agency, plus major water users such as the food and drinks industry and agricultural sector all have big roles to play.
The water companies are currently in the final stages stages of their River Basin Management Plans (which as the name might suggest, covers their strategies for improving the quality of water within the vicinity of individual rivers). This will outline each company's priorities for meeting criteria relating to: freshwater fish, coastal waters, stakeholder collaboration, etc.
Resources
For more information on the Water Framework Directive, check out the following sites:
