Protection of Aquifers - Hydrogeology: Objectives, Methods, Applications - page 192

C HAPTER C3
Protection of Aquifers
1 EUROPEAN REGULATIONS
The October 23rd, 2000 Water Framework Directive from the European
Commissions goes beyond the current efforts, by asking member states
to develop and put in place plans to maintain and better the aquatic
environment.
The Directive has, as its goal, the establishment of a union-wide
framework for regulatory actions affecting water. It stipulates that the
sustainable use of water be founded on the long-term protection of water
resources. The directive states that water is not a commodity, but an
inheritance that must be protected, defended, and treated as such.
2 SANITARY CONTROL OF DRINKING WATER
Analyses by the mandatory state regulating organization (DDASS) have
the fi nal say in sanitation: water must meet certain criteria for potability
(for distributed tap water) or capacity to be made potable (for potential
resources).
The sampling sites for these sanitary analyses are:
￿ the resource being exploited, in order to its protection by managing
its catchment basin;
￿ the exit of the treatment plant, in order to measure the modifi cations
with respect to the original composition (change in pH, change in
nitrogen oxidation, remineralization with hydrogenocarbonate and
calcium, reduction in carbonate, iron, phosphorus, fl uorine, arsenic
contents, oxidation of organic carbon, of pesticides);
￿ the distribution network, in order to judge the consumer's protection.
At this point in the network, in addition to the basic composition of
the water, the impact of additives is measured: residual chlorine, the
concentration of which must be high enough to protect the consumer