The regulations amend the Water Resources Act 1991 by making changes to the power to designate Water Protection Zones (WPZs), together with the powers to undertake anti-pollution works and serve notices to undertake such works.
The purpose is to ensure that England and Wales are able properly to comply with the obligations imposed by Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (the Water Framework Directive).
The regulations should improve the water quality of water bodies by, in particular, the control of diffuse pollution and the protection and improvement of the hydromorphological quality elements of such bodies.
Hydromorphological quality elements include physical characteristics of water bodies, such as quantity and dynamics of flow; shape, width, depth and pattern of the channel; and
condition of beds, banks and riparian zone (in the case of rivers) and shores (in the case of lakes and coastal waters). These interact with and affect the biological and chemical
quality of water.
Link to Regulation:
