Although the last years and decades were very successful primarily in terms of water quality, the current status assessment and monitoring results prove the requirement for further efforts. As significant water management issues the following topics were derived for the entire river basin district Weser:

Salt pollution of Werra and Weser due to the present and former potash mining.

Pressures on waters from anthropogenic nutrient inputs.

The influence on the water structure/continuity.

These are equivalent in terms of WFD with the so called important water management questions. They were extensively described in the frameworks reporting.

Apart from the river basin wide, there are also regional water management issues. These refer to hydrological sub-units and have more effects to their immediate surrounding. They comprise urban stormwater management and as well the heavy metal pollution from former ore mining in the Harz mountains.

WFD requires fundamentally that the good chemical and ecological status, respectively the good ecological potential for surface waters are achieved until 2015. As regards groundwater bodies, the same time limit applies in terms of good chemical and quantitative status.

There is a possibility to make exceptions in reasonable cases. This applies e.g. if the effect of measures can only be expected after 2015, or if the measures which should provide for a good status can not be financially covered at the same time. Art. 4 WFD foresees therefore the following possibilities for exceptional cases:

Deadline extension two times for a maximum of 6 years each time,

Less stringent environmental objectives for those cases in which the good status can not be achieved with practical means and proportional effort,

Temporary deterioration, caused by natural events or vis major, Not-achievement of the good status due to the new modified physical properties, e.g. as a result of the superior objectives or protection and conservation of human health.