S.L. 549.25 Art. 7Designation of vulnerable zones.

(1) For the purpose of designating and revising the designation of vulnerable zones, the competent authority shall:

(a) monitor the nitrate concentration in freshwaters over a period of one year:

(i) at surface water sampling stations, and, or at other sampling stations which are representative of surface waters, at least monthly and more frequently during flood periods;

(ii) at sampling stations which are representative of the groundwater aquifers, at regular intervals;

(b) repeat the monitoring programme outlined in paragraph (a) at least every four years, except for those sampling stations where the nitrate concentration in all previous samples has been below 25 mg/l and no new factor likely to increase the nitrate content has appeared, in which case the monitoring programme need be repeated only every eight years;

(c) review the eutrophic state of their fresh surface waters, estuarial and coastal waters every four years.

(2) The reference methods of measurement set out in Annex IV shall be used.