WFD Cycle 2 River ANC Classification: UK River Water Body Acidification Status

A subset of the WFD Classification Status Cycle 2 product, this dataset contains summary data for the acid neutralising capacity (ANC) element for river water bodies. The ANC classification is used to assess ecological status under the Water Framework Directive, with site classifications using categories of High, Good, Moderate, Poor, and Bad. The data is provided by the UK Environment Agency and was last updated in July 2026.

Use Cases

• Classifying river water body ecological status based on Acid Neutralising Capacity (ANC) as described in the Water Framework Directive.
• Assessing anthropogenic acidification impacts using a calculated measure based on pH, dissolved organic carbon, and alkalinity data.
• Comparing site-specific ANC results against typology-derived environmental quality standards (EQS) for regulatory reporting.

Strengths

• Data is directly tied to a specific regulatory framework, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) Cycle 2.
• Classification uses a standardized five-category scale (High, Good, Moderate, Poor, Bad) for consistent assessment.
• ANC is described as a direct measure of anthropogenic acidification, providing a specific analytical focus.

Limitations

• The dataset has been retired and superseded by another record, indicating it is not the current version.
• Row count and specific column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and completeness require manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Environment Agency (UK)

Collection Method

Calculated measurement based on pH, dissolved organic carbon, and alkalinity data, aggregated into annual mean concentrations.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-17 15:08:26.955130; freshness should be verified as the dataset is retired.

Geography

United Kingdom (river water bodies)