25-08-2017, 09:32 PM
Water Pollution Control - A Guide to the Use of Water Quality Management Principles
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Introduction
During recent years there has been increasing awareness of, and concern about, water
pollution all over the world, and new approaches towards achieving sustainable
exploitation of water resources have been developed internationally. It is widely agreed
that a properly developed policy framework is a key element in the sound management
of water resources. A number of possible elements for such policies have been identified,
especially during the preparation of Agenda 21 as well as during various follow up
activities.
This chapter proposes some general principles for the policy making process and for
policy document structure. Some examples of policy elements which support the overall
sustainable management of water resources are also given.
Policy framework
Policy statements regarding water pollution control can be found within the legislative
framework of most countries. However, the statements are often "hidden" in official
documents, such as acts of government, regulations, action and master plans. Moreover,
government statutes and constitutional documents often include paragraphs about
environmental policies. Such statements are rarely coherent, and inconsistencies with
other policies often exist because they have been developed separately with different
purposes.
Water pollution control is usually specifically addressed in connection with the
establishment of environmental legislation and action plans, but also within the
framework of water resources management planning. Moreover, documents related to
public health aspects may also consider water pollution. These three interacting areas
are often administered in different line ministries - typically a Ministry of Environment, a
Ministry of Water and a Ministry of Health. In addition, the policy making process, if it
exists, may often take place independently.
The policy document
A policy document should be formulated clearly and concisely, but at the same time it
must be operational. This means that the statements should be easily understood and
the document should form a guide for administrators formulating laws and regulations as
well as those enforcing, and thereby interpreting, such texts. To fulfil these requirements
the policy document should include, in addition to very general statements, well
explained guiding principles for water pollution management as well as outlines for
strategies for the implementation of the policy.
Overall policy statements
The overall policy statements, relevant for water pollution control, define a government's
concept of the water resources as well as its long-term priorities for exploitation of the
resource. These statements should, preferably, be derived from the country's general
environment and water resources management policies. They should also document the
government's willingness to let management instruments ensure the long-term protection.
Guiding principles for water pollution control
The guiding principles of the policy document put the political intentions into more
practical terms by setting a more detailed conceptual framework that supports the overall
policy objectives. It is recommended that these principles should be clarified by a short
narrative interpretation. The following guiding principles provide a suitable basis for
sound management of water pollution.
Prevent pollution rather than treating symptoms of pollution. Past experience has shown
that remedial actions to clean up polluted sites and water bodies are generally much
more expensive than applying measures to prevent pollution from occurring. Although
wastewater treatment facilities have been installed and improved over the years in many
countries, water pollution remains a problem, including in industrialised countries. In
some situations, the introduction of improved wastewater treatment has only led to
increased pollution from other media, such as wastewater sludge. The most logical
approach is to prevent the production of wastes that require treatment. Thus,
approaches to water pollution control that focus on wastewater minimisation, in-plant
refinement of raw materials and production processes, recycling of waste products, etc.,
should be given priority over traditional end-of-pipe treatments.
Strategy formulation
Strategy formulation for water pollution control should be undertaken with due
consideration to the above mentioned guiding principles, as well as to other principles for
water resources management laid down in various documents, e.g. Agenda 21, that
have been widely agreed. When formulating a water pollution control strategy, it should
be ensured that various complementary elements of an effective water pollution control
system are developed and strengthened concurrently. For example, financial resources
would not be used very effectively by spending them all on the formulation of policies
and the drafting of legislation, standards and regulations, if there is no.