An integrated monitoring system to support the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources: a study developed on apulia land

With the Counei! Direetive 91/676/EEC of 12 Deeember1991 coneerning the proteetion of waters against pollution eaused by nitrates from agrieultural sourees, the European Community has adopted measures to ensure that Member States have predisposed aetions for the proteetion of water qua/ity. Italy has comp/ied with the European direetive promulgating a legislative deeree (D.Lgs) n.152 in 1999 "Pravisions on the proteetion of waters against pollution and transposition of Direetive 91/271/EEC eoneerning the treatment urban wastewater and Direetive 91/676/EEC eoneerning the proteetion of waters against pollution eaused by nitrates fram agricultural sources". Subsequently, this deeree has been repealed and replaeed by D.Lgs.3 Aprii 2006, n.152. Apulia Region worked following the European and national direetions and has identified Vulnerable Zones to Nitrates (NVZ) from agricultural sourees (D.G.R.n.2036/2005). In 2011, it has been called to revise this areas designation and update it with the results of the monitoring aetivities condueted during the last four years (2008-2011) on the regional territory. In this work we propose the applieation of an integrated monitoring system of water resourees in Apulia land aimed to overhaul regional vulnerable areas to nitrates pollution (NVZ), caused by agricultural sources. Furthermore, the aetivities of identification and designation of the NVZ have allowed to identify suitable aetions aimed to optimize monitoring system of surfaee water and groundwater, and also to mitigate the pollution phenomenon by the reduction of nitrogen use in agriculture