Surface Waters (Dangerous Substances) (Classification) Regulations 1998 (No. 389 of 1998).

These Regulations prescribe a system for classifying the quality of inland freshwaters, coastal waters and relevant territorial waters with a view to reducing the pollution of those waters by the dangerous substances listed in the Schedules to the Regulations (regs. 2 and 3 and Schedules 1 and 2). Those substances are substances within List II of Council Directive 76/464/EC[5. The Regulations are made in order to establish water quality objectives for those substances for the purposes of Article 7 of the Directive (pollution reduction programmes). The Environment Agency is required by the Regulations to sample waters classified under the Regulations, to analyse those samples, to monitor the effect on those waters of discharges containing the dangerous substances in question, and to determine the extent of any pollution by those substances and compliance with the requirements for the relevant classification (reg. 4). Section 83 of the Water Resources Act 1991 so as to introduce an duty of the Secretary of state to classify under the Regulations all inland freshwaters, coastal waters and relevant territorial water; and cancel review and consultation requirements.