Annex B
DIFFUSE WATER POLLUTION FROM AGRICULTURE
(DWPA)
Background—What are the Causes and Impacts
of Diffuse Water Pollution?
Diffuse water pollution refers to the pollution
of surface, subsurface, fresh and coastal water bodies, by substances
released from multiple sources, which individually may not have
a significant polluting impact.
Agriculture is a major contributor to diffuse
water pollution in the UK. Nitrates, phosphates and pesticides
can affect the aquatic food chain and have socio-economic impacts,
including affecting drinking water quality, treatment costs and
amenity value.
The geographical distribution of DWPA from nutrients
is broadly regional, corresponding to agricultural intensification,
with the most severe impacts in lowland Britain where agricultural
production is most intense. The situation has been aggravated
by high levels of market price support under the CAP.[1]
However, the specific causes and impacts of
DWPA from nutrients and pesticides are highly dependent on local
conditions (eg soil type, land-use, farming practices, weather,
sensitivity of recipient water body).
Water Framework Directive and Manifesto Commitment
The UK has obligations to improve water quality
under the conditions of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). This
requires UK waters to achieve good chemical and ecological status
by 2015.
It is estimated that 82% rivers in England and
Wales (24% Scotland, 94% Northern Ireland) are at risk of failing
to meet Water Framework Directive requirements due to diffuse
pollution—despite improvements in chemical water quality
in recent years.
In 2005, the Government gave a manifesto commitment
to tackle DWP without imposing costs on water consumers:
"We will work to tackle diffuse water
pollution through addressing impacts across water catchments without
the costs falling on water customers."
Labour Party Manifesto 2005
There is a Voluntary Initiative in place for
pesticides, which is being reviewed this year. And measures required
under the Nitrates Directive are expected to contribute significantly
to reduce pollution from diffuse sources of nitrates. But there
are no current regulatory or economic provisions in place specifically
to tackle diffuse phosphorus pollution and associated losses of
soil. Environmental organisations are calling for any new policy
measures to target these gaps in existing controls over DWPA.
What further action is the Government taking to
tackle DWPA?
The Government is determined to tackle the problem
of diffuse water pollution. It is currently reviewing the available
evidence to assess the appropriateness of possible policy options
to tackle DWPA.
HMT continues to review evidence for potential
tax measures for dealing with environmental issues as part of
the normal Budget process. Defra is increasing its evidence around
the cost-effectiveness of non-tax policy options to tackle DWPA.
Government plans to consult further on the options for dealing
with DWPA in the second half of 2006 in preparation for inclusion
in Water Framework Directive programmes of measures for 2008-09.
March 2006
1 Technical innovation and higher off-farm wage levels
would have been important factors in the intensification of domestic
agricultural production even in the absence of the CAP. But the
CAP, and in particular the high levels of market price support,
have aggravated this problem (see paras 2.43 to 2.46 of HM Treasury
and Defra's joint paper-A Vision for the CAP, December 2005). Back
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