The Protection of Water Against Agricultural Nitrate Pollution (Scotland ) Regulations 1996 provides for Scottish Ministers to review and, if necessary, revise or add to the designations of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) every 4 years. The purpose is to review the status of Scottish waters and to identify those where nitrate from agricultural sources in waters having nitrate concentrations over or approaching 50mg/litre, or are causing waters to be eutrophic (subject to harmful algal growth). Where this occurs, the legislation requires the land draining into the waters to be designated as an NVZ and thereafter the introduction of an Action Programme of measures to reduce the level of nitrate from agricultural sources in the waters. The last review was carried out in 2001, following which the Aberdeenshire, Banff , Buchan and Moray NVZ, the Strathmore and Fife NVZ, and the Lothian and Borders NVZ were designated in June 2002 and the Lower Nithsdale NVZ designated subsequently.
The following review was completed in February 2006. It did not find evidence of nitrate levels or eutrophication in any parts of Scotland outside the existing NVZs that indicated a need for any new areas to be designated. Furthermore, the data did not provide a case for removing any areas from the current NVZs.
FURTHER REPORT ON THE LOWER NITHSDALE NVZ 2008
REVIEW OF THE DESIGNATION OF NVZS 2005
NITRATE CONCENTRATIONS IN NITHSDALE GROUNDWATER REPORT 2004