SAMORDNAD RECIPIENTKONTROLL – BEHOV AV FÖRNYELSE / Monitoring programmes for Swedish waste receiving waters – a need of renewal
The quality of waste receiving waters is in Sweden monitored on catchment basis to gain knowledge for decisions on water protection measures. The results are presented in annual reports. Questions have been raised regarding the effectiveness of this monitoring. Therefore, 25 reports covering different types of catchments have been evaluated (mainly the chemical parts). Issues in focus were: 1. Has observed changes in water quality been coupled to changes in the primary pollution sources? 2, Is there a need of all samples and analyses? 3. Have wrong or doubtful calculations been made? Changes in water quality were reported as effects of changes in weather (19 reports). Complete information about changes in primary pollution was lacking. Unnecessary monitoring was found at apparently constant pollution load, in ”pure” waters, and in homothcrmal lakes. In addition non-relevant variables have been analysed. A number of mean values for lakes, pH-values and seasons have been calculated wrongly. Possibilities to improve the programmes are discussed. There is a strong need of a renewal of the programmes, which preferably should be done in connection to the introduction of the EU’s new Frame Directive on Water Policy into