VTEI / water quality

water quality

Tools for risk assessment of catchment areas for abstraction points of water intended for human consumption

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In December 2020, the new EU Directive 2020/2184 on the quality of water intended for human consumption was published. This Directive places a strong emphasis on comprehensive protection of water resources and introduces an obligation to carry out risk assessment and risk management of the catchment areas for abstraction points of water intended for human consumption, compared to the previous Directive from 1998. The risk analysis of the catchment areas must be carried out for all water abstractions for drinking purposes that abstract more than 10 m3 raw water per day. In the Czech Republic, this concerns approximately 3,650 abstractions (of which about 3,500 are groundwater abstractions and about 150 surface water abstractions). On a nationwide scale, it is therefore a considerable amount of risk analyses of parts of the catchment areas, which, according to the Directive, must be performed by 2027. The main aim of the project “Tools for risk assess-ment of catchment areas for abstraction points of water intended for human consumption” (supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic) is to develop a methodology for the preparation of this risk analysis of the catchment areas. In order to ensure that the risk analyses of the catchment areas to be prepared by different entities have a uniform form and structure, a form (mock-up) of what the risk analyses of the catchment areas should look like and what they should contain has been developed within the framework of the methodology. As this is a very complex issue, only the main skeleton of the methodology will be presented in this article, focusing on the basic characteristics of the abstraction and the definition of the area (the catchment areas) in which the risk activities for the quality of the abstracted raw water are determined.

Developing cooperation with Canada in the field of water quality

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Between 10th and 16th June 2024, Mgr. Kateřina Sovová, Ph.D., TGM WRI, and Ing. Pavla Fojtíková, Ph.D., the University of South Bohemia, visited Canada to liaise over water quality issues, wastewater monitoring, and toxicity research. This event was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its main goal was to deepen cooperation in the field of UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).

Fish stocks of water elements in heritage protected complexes

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The aim of this article is to present the results and conclusions of research which focused on recommending an appropriate approach for the creation and maintenance of fish stocks in various types of water elements, from small ornamental pools to formal water elements and large close-to-nature fish ponds. These elements form part of cultural monument complexes and heritage protected settlements (especially historic gardens and chateau parks, religious complexes, village and urban heritage reserves). Detailed results are described of a twoyear investigation of various types of water elements located in Kroměříž gardens, Červené Poříčí Chateau, and the former monastery in Osek, near Teplice, as examples of cultural monuments and their water elements. Issues of possible management of fish stocks, modifications of the aquatic environment to ensure stable conditions for fish farming, and the reduction of negative interaction of pollution and excessive or inappropriately chosen fish stocks and aesthetic perception of water elements are discussed. The results of the field investigations have shown an unsatisfactory state of virtually all locations due to water eutrophication, overgrowth of vegetation in some water elements, unregulated interventions in fish stocks, and uncontrolled fishing resulting in the reduction of predatory species population and the occurrence of invasive species. At the same time, a relatively low awareness of the possibilities of regulating fish stocks and of the principles of sustainable maintenance have been found.

The influence of Prague on water quality in the Vltava and the Czech Elbe

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Paper deals with the development of water quality of the river stretch of Elbe between the confluence Elbe/Vltava and the Hřensko/Schmilka on the frontier Czech Republic/Federal Republic of Germany in the period 1980–2020 and with the influence of Prague City on its pollution. After the significant improvement in the period 1985–2000, the quality of water discharged through the profile Hřensko generally complies with the German level at least. Assessment of the transport budgets shows that Vltava river contributes more to the system only as having higher water discharges. Prague City contributes to the pollution of Vltava and Elbe only by discharge of phosphorus, for the rest of common pollution items it functions only as a non-significant source.

Occurrence of pesticides in the Punkva river

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The Moravian Karst is the largest and most karstic area in the Czech Republic, and, as such, it is a protected landscape area (PLA). The karst area occupies a strip of Devonian limestone north of Brno. The north part of Moravian Karst is drained by the river Punkva and its headwaters. One of the biggest cave systems in central Europe is located there, Amaterska cave, which is more than 40 km long.
Despite the strict protection measures that are in place in the PLA, the presence of pollutants and potentially hazardous substances has recently been detected in the Punkva river and its catchment. The sources of this pollution are found both within the territory of Moravian Karst PLA and in the river´s catchment, and they are related to anthropogenic activities and land use. This article focuses on the occurrence of pesticides, especially triazine and azole pesticides and their polar metabolites. In 2020, a new significant contaminant, 1,2,4-triazole, a common relevant metabolite of azole pesticides, was found at the site concerned. These substances can have fatal effects not only on the endemic organisms living in the Moravian Karst, but they can also endanger human health because the local groundwater is used as a source of drinking water. Thanks to the studies carried out, the protection zones around the cave system have been extended, reducing the negative effects of agricultural activities in the area of interest.

Vodní květ

Balance evaluation of selected water quality indicators on the tributaries of Vranov reservoir

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Most of the reservoirs in the Czech Republic have been built as multifunctional reservoirs, with the basic functions being storage and protection. The way the catchment area upstream of a reservoir is used has a significant impact on water quality. Pollution sources can be divided into point, area, and diffuse sources. Being continuous or recurrent, point pollution is not significantly influenced by meteorological factors and it is linked to narrowly delimited areas such as settlements, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), industrial plants, agricultural facilities, etc. Area pollution is difficult to observe as it is irregular and depends on meteorological, soil, morphological, and vegetation characteristics [4]. The category of diffuse sources usually includes small diffuse point sources of pollution, namely municipal, agricultural, industrial, as well as traffic pollution, leachates from landfills, etc.

Water quality and state of aquatic invertebrate populations in small watercourses in Prague

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The aim of this paper has been to evaluate the ecological status of small watercourses in the capital city of Prague by analogy to the evaluation of water bodies pursuant to Directive 2000/60/EC. A total of eight sites were selected at seven watercourses (Šárecký, Dalejský, Radotínský, Libušský, Kunratický, Botič and Rokytka Streams). Both sections that are semi-natural and those that have been restored in various ways were selected. From May 2017 onwards, annual sampling of chemical indicators took place in selected sites and a standard multihabitat method was used to take samples of aquatic invertebrates (macrozoobenthos).

Prediction model of water quality around Prague

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This article is available in Czech only. For translation or more information on this topic, please contact author.   Souhrn V poslední době se velmi diskutuje – a to nejen mezi odbornou veřejností – o dopadech změny klimatu na vodní režim v přírodní krajině. Řešení OP Praha – pól růstu se zaměřilo i na krajinu… Read more »

Environment quality of water elements of heritage protected areas

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Water elements represent a significant part of the environment of cultural heritage sites, conservation zones and areas. To fulfil the required functions, which may include social, historical, recreational and educational, but also environmental functions; it is necessary to ensure their corresponding target state.

Information about ORAM

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Odra River Alarm Modul (ORAM) will be part of the NAVAROSO project. There are no results of tracer studies of the Czech part of the Odra River in the last twenty years. That´s the reason, why tracer experiment data of the Svitava River were used for analysis.

Classification of surface water quality

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This article deals with new Czech Standard 75 7221 Water quality – Classification of surface water quality [1] and replaces the previous 19 years old standard [2]. It was necessary to take into account actual demands of the surface water protection from two points of view: pollution indicator selection and current environmental quality standards. The range of pollution indicators and limit values of water classification were revised.

Policy of Protection from impacts of drought and water scarcity in the Czech Republic – consultation and processing

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In the context of a severe drought period, which has started in 2014, an inter-ministerial commission WATER-DROUGHT was established to prepare a strategic policy document on protection from impacts of drought and water scarcity in the Czech Republic.

Assessment of the relationship between water quality and functions of small water reservoirs

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Small water reservoirs are one of the principal elements of agricultural landscape in the Central European context. The monitoring of the quality of aquatic environment of selected ponds and small reservoirs (SWR) in areas of southern and central Moravia and the Vysočina Region was carried out in 2013 to 2015.