DSS Steps

The basic structure of SOCOPSE DSS contains seven sequential steps.

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Step 1: Problem definition
In Step 1 the problem around PS and WFD are envisaged. The WFD requires a ‘good status´ for all waters by 2015. PS concentrations may not exceed the environmental quality standards and they may not increase in time. The need is to comply with this requirement and therefore non-compliance can be defined as problem. The result of this step is a table or map with the areas of exceedance: locations where a good chemical status is not met.

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Step 2: Inventory of sources
In Step 2 an inventory of sources with effect on PS concentrations at river basin scale is derived from the areas of exceedance table (result of Step 1), from a database with an EU wide inventory of possible sources and from area specific information (e.g. from permits, emission registration data etc.). Step 2 results in a list (table or map) with actual areas of exceedance and their possible sources.

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Step 3: Definition of a baseline scenario
In Step 3 a baseline scenario is defined. The step outlines an answer to the following questions: ‘To what extent additional measures are necessary to improve the water quality?´ and ‘Is there reason to assume that the present situation with respect to the water quality will change of will be different in the future? If so why? Will the problem definition change?´.
In some cases the main sources of pollution have been eliminated already and the system is recovering towards good chemical status. In these cases it is important to identify the possible threats to recovery, but there's no need to take any action except monitoring. Step 3 results in a list (table or map) with future areas of exceedance and their possible sources.

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Step 4: Inventory of possible measures
Step 4 is concerned with creating an inventory of possible management options for the PSs. These management options include e.g. process-oriented options, end-of-pipe techniques, product substitution (phase out) and other options e.g. at Community level. First a scan on the need for measures to solve the actual and future areas of exceedance and sources is performed. For each situation where ‘no action´ is not an option the possible and for the area relevant measures are listed from the measure database. Since measures could be applicable for more than one PS a check is performed on whether measures can be combined. The result of Step 4 is a list of possible measures per substance.

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Step 5: Assessment of the effects of the measures
In Step 5 an assessment of the effects of the possible management options/measures takes place. Once the possible alternative measures have been defined (the result of Step 4), it is necessary to determine which categories of effects need to be taken into account in order to decide on the most appropriate selection method (Step 6). The assessment of the effects is at least a calculation/estimation of the Costs of Compliance and of the performance of the measure: primarily the reduction in PS concentration, but also the effect on other substances can be regarded.

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Step 6: Selection of the best solutions
In Step 6 the selection of the best solution (sets of measures) takes place. In dialogue with the main stakeholder groups (pointed out in Step 0; System definition) the most applicable selection method is chosen based on the expected effects of the measure (sets). With this method the measures and their effects are weighed (and ranked). For those cases where only costs and concentration reduction are important Cost Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) has to be performed. If besides costs and concentration reduction also other effects are relevant a Social Cost Benefit Analysis (SCBA) or a Multi-criteria Analysis (MCA) has to be performed. From the result of these analyzes the best solutions are selected in dialogue with/or advice from the main stakeholder groups.
 
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For the steps 2-6 there is a feedback loop to the preceding one in case completion of the step requires new or other input from the previous step.
 
The steps are described in more detail in the next section.

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