ILI CPD Webinar | Achieving Water Framework Directive Objectives by John Stack

'Achieving Water Framework Directive Objectives through Integrated Catchment Management and the use of Nature Based Solutions' by John Stack

1-2pm Thursday 12 June 2025

Synposis

Urban runoff is a significant pressure on Irish waters and is, of course, pervasive throughout densely urbanised catchments.  With hundreds of stormwater inflows into urban rivers, addressing urban runoff poses significant challenges to authorities responsible for water management.

This presentation will describe the concept of Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) and how it is applied by Dublin City Council for Water Framework Directive (WFD) purposes.  It will discuss how ICM is used to identify, classify and prioritise pressures on receiving waters and how that information may be used to inform decisions related to the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems, a form of Nature-Based Solution (NBS) within Dublin City.  It highlights the need for a strategic, systematic approach to the use of SUDS/NBS at catchment level to ensure achievement of WFD objectives.  It will show how SUDS/NBS can improve local ecology and improve the urban landscape whilst simultaneously doing the work for which it was intended – managing stormwater and improving water quality.

Community and stakeholder input into NBS schemes is key to their success and how this has been applied will be discussed, using the River Santry Catchment as a case study.

Biography

John is a Chartered Engineer and Senior Executive Engineer in Dublin City Council.  He currently oversees the Water Framework Directive Section of the Protection of Water Bodies Office and is tasked with delivering projects aimed a complying with Water Framework Directive.

While his primary focus is on Water Framework Directive compliance, he has a particular interest in the use of nature-based solutions to achieve a variety of objectives, including stormwater management, water quality improvement, ecological enhancement, and for the development of social, recreational and amenity assets. 

John’s qualifications include two Masters Degrees, the first in Civil and Environmental Engineering and the second in Environmental Science.  John has over 20 years of experience working in the area of environmental protection, with the majority of that time working in DCC’s Water Pollution Control Section.  John has been working on Water Framework Directive objectives since 2008.  John was a key advocate for the establishment of the Water Framework Directive Office in Dublin City Council, which was established in 2017 and through which all WFD-related works are coordinated.