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The European Water Framework Directive: Water Quality Classification and Implications to Engineering Planning

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Abstract

The European Water framework directive (WFD) is probably the most important environmental management directive that has been enacted over the last decade in the European Union. The directive aims at achieving an overall good ecological status in all European water bodies. In this article, we discuss the implementation steps of the WFD and their implications for environmental engineering practice while focusing on rivers as the main receiving waters. Arising challenges for engineers and scientists are seen in the quantitative assessment of water quality, where standardized systems are needed to estimate the biological status. This is equally of concern in engineering planning, where the prediction of ecological impacts is required. Studies dealing with both classification and prediction of the ecological water quality are reviewed. Further, the combined emission–water quality approach is discussed. Common understanding of this combined approach is to apply the most stringent of either water quality or emission standard to a certain case. In contrast, for example, the Austrian water act enables the application of only the water quality based approach - at least on a temporary basis.

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Acknowledgments

The results presented in this article have been elaborated in the frame of the EU project CD4WC, as part of the CityNet framework (http://www.cd4wc.org), contract No. EVK1-CT-2002-00118, coordinated by TU Dresden (D) and including RUG/BIOMATH (B), IUT Innsbruck (A), Panteion University of Athens (GR), Ruhrverband (D), Tiroler Wasserkraft AG (A), AQUAFIN NV (B) and PVK Prague (CZ).

The program is organized within the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Programme in the 5th Framework Programme for Science Research and Technological Development of the European Commission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental EngineeringDivision of Urban Water ManagementUniversity of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 13, Innsbruck, A-6020, Austria

    Stefan Achleitner, Sara DE Toffol, Carolina Engelhard & Wolfgang Rauch

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  1. Stefan Achleitner
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  2. Sara DE Toffol
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  3. Carolina Engelhard
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  4. Wolfgang Rauch
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Correspondence to Stefan Achleitner.

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Achleitner, S., DE Toffol, S., Engelhard, C. et al. The European Water Framework Directive: Water Quality Classification and Implications to Engineering Planning. Environmental Management 35, 517–525 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0066-1

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