BRIDGE - Background cRiteria for the IDentification of Groundwater thrEsholds

The Ground Water Directive required the identification of pollutants and their threshold values. The BRIDGE project worked in defining a common methodology for the establishment of threshold values in groundwater pollutants. The main goals of the project were to:

1. Study and gather scientific outputs to set out criteria for the assessment of the chemical status of groundwater (data on pollutants and key hydro-geological parameters);

2. Derive a common methodology based on scientific results and defined at national river basin district or groundwater body level to set up groundwater threshold values;

3. Check the applicability and validity by means of case studies at the European scale;

4. Identify and undertake additional research studies to complete available data;

5. Carry out an environmental impact assessment taking into account the economic and social impacts.