What is the purpose of the National Monitoring of the quantitative and qualitative status of surface water and groundwater.
Recognizing the dangers arising from both the degradation of the quality of surface water and groundwater and the increasing pressure from the continuous growth in demand for sufficient quantities of good quality water across Europe, the European Union led to issuing Directives in order to succeed certain environmental objectives. By setting strict measures, the purpose of these Directives aim at the the protection and the sustainable management of waters, including those concerning the establishment of systematic monitoring of water quality and quantity, in a common and comparable basis for all members of the Community.
The purpose of the National Monitoring Network, is the systematic monitoring of the quantitative and qualitative status of surface water and groundwater in all of the 14 water districts of Greece, according to PD 51/2007, aiming at the creation of a coherent and comprehensive overview of water status within each river basin.
Which are the monitoring stations?
The monitoring stations are listed in the Annex table of the JMD 140384 / 2011
What was the method used for choosing the monitoring stations?
The surface water monitoring network is determined by decision of the requirements of Article 8 of the Directive and is divided in three types:
- surveillance monitoring, aims at validating the impact assessment procedure, the effective design of future monitoring programs, the assessment of long term changes in natural conditions, as well as the assessment of long-term changes resulting from widespread anthropogenic activity.
- operational monitoring, aims establish the status of those bodies identified as being at risk of failing to meet their environmental objectives, as well to assess any changes in the status of such bodies resulting from the programs of measures.
- the investigative monitoring, is conducted when the cause of any exceedances is unknown, indicates that the objectives set out for a body of water are not likely to be achieved and operational monitoring has not been implemented in order to indentify those reasons, or, finally to ascertain the magnitude and impacts of accidental pollution
Sampling points depend on the type of the monitoring conducted in accordance with the provisions of Directive 2000/60/ΕC. Specifically:
Surveillance monitoring shall be carried out at points where:
- the rate of water flow is significant within the river basin district as a whole; including points on large rivers where the catchment area is greater than 2 500 km2,
- the volume of water present is significant within the river basin district, including large lakes and reservoirs,
- significant bodies of water cross a Member State boundary,
- sites are identified under the Information Exchange Decision 77/795/EEC
- sites are required to estimate the pollutant load which is transferred across Member State boundaries, and which is transferred into the marine environment.
Operational monitoring shall be carried out for all those bodies of water which:
- are identified as recipients of anthropogenic activities.
- need to be monitored according to the results of surveillance monitoring and are at risk of failing their environmental objectives
- priority list substances are discharged.
What is the sampling frequency?
Quality element | Rivers | Lakes | Transitional | Coastal |
Biological | ||||
Φυτοπλαγκτόν | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months |
Λοιπή υδατική χλωρίδα | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |
Μακροασπόνδυλα | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |
Ψάρια | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |
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Hydromorphological | ||||
Συνέχεια | 6 years |
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Υδρολογία | Συνεχής | 1 month |
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Μορφολογία | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years |
Physichemical | ||||
Θερμικές συνθήκες | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months |
Οξυγόνωση | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months |
Αλατότητα | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months |
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Κατάσταση θρεπτικών | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months |
Κατάσταση οξίνισης | 3 months | 3 months |
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Λοιποί ρύποι | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months |
Ουσίες προτεραιότητας | 1 month | 1 month | 1 month | 1 month |
What are the monitored parameters?
According to Directive 2000/60 / EC, the parameters monitored are:
- required-recommended physicochemical parameters (Annex V)
- priority substances(Annex Χ)
- other pollutants
- hazardous substances (Annex ΙΧ) which other individual EU Directives describe in detail and are grouped in Catalogues I and II, for some of which the determination of their guiding and limit values is based on the quality of the system
- substances related to the pressure applied on the system - potential point and diffuse pollution sources and are mentioned in Annex VIII to the 2000/60 / EC and in other EU directives
The parameters required for the determination of groundwater chemical status according to Directive 2000/60/EU (Annex V) are conductivity and pollutant concentrations. The following table shows the required and recommended parameters for monitoring surface water:
Considered Parameters | Measured Parameters | Rivers | Lakes | Transitional Waters | Coastal Waters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ι. | Thermal conditions | Temperature | Ö | Ö | Ö | Ö |
ιι. | Oxygenation conditions | Dissolved Oxygen | Ö | Ö | Ö | Ö |
ιιι. | Salinity | Electrical Conductance | Ö | Ö | Ö | Ö |
ιιιι. | Acidification status | pH Alkalinity / ΑNC | Ö | Ö |
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v. | Nutrient conditions | Total phosphorus, Dissolved phosphorus , Total nitrogen Nitrate and nitrite ions ammonium | Ö | Ö | Ö | Ö |
vi | Other parameters | Suspended Solids Turbidity | Ö |
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vii. | Transparency | Secchi depth Turbidity Color |
| Ö | Ö | Ö |
viii. | Specific pollutants | Pollution by Priority substances (Annex Χ – Directive 2000/60/ΕΚ) indentified as being discharged into the body of water Pollution by other substances identified as being discharged in significant quantities into the body of water | Ö |
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How often is the National Monitoring Program reviewed
Water resources monitoring program is part of river basin management plans, is approved like any management plan and reviewed every six years. The program contains specific measures which ensure the continuous monitoring of quality parameters and quantitative status of all water bodies, as well as the ecological status of surface waters.
How do I get informed about changes in the Register?
Through this website the public gets directly informed on all following information:
- Changes in Network Monitoring
- Monitoring program results
- Other relevant Monitoring programs
Furthermore, the Special Secretariat for Water issues relevant press releases which arrear on the website of the Ministry and encourage active participation of all stakeholders in the process of public awareness and participation of citizens in matters relating to water quality.