Review for building knowledge database and consensus report on recommendation on wlaw

8.3Knowing and monitoring the water resources and the ecosystems

8.3.1. The SEW Quality: System for Evaluation of the Water Quality:

The System for Evaluation of the Quality of the watercourses has been harmonized and enhanced in the years 90s by the Water Agencies and the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development. These modifications have given birth to the System for Evaluation of the Water Quality (SEQ-Water).

The evaluation of the contamination of the aquatic environments enables to allocate a quality class to each measure point. Quality is assessed according to two distinctive viewpoints:

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  Knowledge of the quality of the surface and ground waters as an heritage;
  
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  Knowledge of the quality of the surface and ground waters in connection with the actions for fighting against pollution by pesticides.
  

The general state of the quality of the water courses and the aquifers can be assessed through observations made regularly during the year by the networks of general knowledge (mainly the national network of basin and the national network of ground waters).

Quality is assessed on the basis of standardized grids (SEQ-Water). The SEQ-Water grid used for general knowledge of the quality of the watercourses incorporates the needs of the aquatic life and the usage of potable water as assessment criteria.

In 2004, pesticides concentrations have been quantified on 96% of the 607 interpretable points of the networks of general knowledge. At least 297 points, eg 49% of the 607 interpretable points have a quality assessed as average to poor. Fifty-eight of these points have pesticides contents that can have a large impact on the ecological equilibriums or are unfit for the supply in potable water.

The quality of the ground waters is estimated on the basis of an assessment grid different from the one for the surface waters, which is based mainly on their aptitude to supply potable water, since the needs in the aquatic life are not generally relevant in the ground waters.

In 2004, pesticides concentrations have been quantified on 61% of the 910 interpretable points of the networks of general knowledge. At least 249 points, eg 27% of the total number of the interpretable points are of mediocre or poor quality and would require a specific treatment for the elimination of the pesticides if they were used to produce potable water. Ten of them have contents higher than the regulatory standards and would require exceptional authorization from the minister in charge of Health if they were to be used for the production of potable water.

8.3.2. The WIS: Water Information System

The protocol of the Water Information System (WIS protocol), signed in June 2003, succeeding to the RNDE protocol, outlines the obligations of the water players who have declared to have adhered to it, regarding the production, conservation and putting at disposal of data. It also specifies the organizational mode at the national level (national committee and coordination group and at the level of each basin (committee of the basin data). Its signatories are: the MEDAD, the IFEN, the six water agencies and the Offices of water of Réunion and Martinique, the National Office for the aquatic environments, the BRGM, the Ifremer, the INERIS and EDF.

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  The production of all types of data on water;
  
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  The management and the conservation of these sets of data;
  
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  The easy access to data.
  

The SIW concerns all data useful for the general knowledge of the water resources and the aquatic environments: quality, quantity, usages, regulatory data, etc… in order to notably meet the needs necessary to the actions of the State and its public establishments in the implementation of the water policy and its assessment at the national or European level whether it is of the regulatory order or needed for planning and information to the general public.

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  The Ministries, their services, the public establishments under supervision and performing a responsibility within the water area;
  
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  The territorial communities, the basin public territorial establishments (EPTB) and the development firms;
  
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  The technical, scientific, university centers;
  
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  The environmental and users committees and associations;
  
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  The public and private sector: manufacturers, exploitation companies, engineering offices.
  

8.3.3. Data management and contents of the WIS

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  Progress status of the WIS
  

The WIS is made up of several national information systems relative to the different themes in connection with the water area. The progress status of the WIS is therefore variable and based on the themes discussed.

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  The HYDRO databank, data on the hydrometry of the watercourses;
  
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  The Quadrige databank, data on the coastal waters;
  
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  The Image databank, piscicolous data;
  
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  The ADES databank, date on piezometry and the quality of the ground waters;
  
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  The Sandre databank, reference data on water;
  
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  Atlas of the sellfish culture areas.
  

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  Sheets of Water Information System, data on the quality of the sheets of water;
  
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  Watercourses Information System, data on the quality of the watercourses;
  
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  Sanitation Information System, data related to sanitation;
  
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  Abstractions Information Systems, data on the usages of water.