4 Management of Surfaces Water Resources—Ecological Status …
137
in the water domain. Surveillance activities are carried out to assess the status of
all water bodies within the river basins, while operational activities aim to monitor
bodies of water which risk failing to meet water protection objectives [8, 9].
Water resources in Romania are both at the surface and underground.
In the updated National Management Plan related to the national portion of the
Danube river basin which is included in the Romanian territory, the following categories of surface waters are mentioned:
• Rivers (natural, highly modified and artificial)—78.905 km (cadastral rivers);
• Natural lakes—129;
• Transitional waters—781.37 km
2 (619.37 km
2 sea transitional waters and 162 km
2
Sinoe lake);
• Coastal waters—571.8 km
2 (116 km).
In terms of quality, Romanian watercourses are classified into three categories.
Category I—Waters which can become potable for the water supply of populated
centers, or which can be used to supply livestock farms and trout farms.
Category II—surface waters which can be used in fish farming (other than salmon
culture), for technological needs in industry and recreational activities.
Category III—waters for crop irrigation, power generation in hydropower plants,
industrial cooling plants, laundries and other uses for which such quality is acceptable, and the last category includes degraded waters where fish fauna cannot develop.
The assessment of surface water quality after 1999 is based on the processing
of primary analytical. This data was obtained monthly in 312 first order surveillance sections located in 14 river basins: Tisa—8, Olt—36; Some¸ s—28, Vedea—
8, Cri¸ suri—18; Arge¸ s—34, Mure¸ s—40, Ialomi¸ ta—19, Bega-Timi¸ s—21, Siret—49,
Nera-Cerna—5, Prut—19, Jiu—15, Danube—12 [1, 10].
4.2 Water Quality and Surface Water Pollution
The quality of surface water (but also groundwater) is rapidly damaged by pollutants
from domestic, agricultural and industrial activities. Surface water pollution and their
decontamination is easier to achieve compared to underground, slowly-polluting
waters, but the decontamination process is long-lasting and sometimes irreversible.
Water pollution is the alteration of physical, chemical and biological qualities of
water, produced directly or indirectly, naturally or anthropically [11, 12].
Pollution can occur:
• Continuously or permanently (e.g. city sewerage, industrial waste discharge);
• Discontinuously (e.g. pollution at certain time intervals);
• Temporarily (e.g. temporary colonies);
• Accidentally (e.g. in case of damage).
137
in the water domain. Surveillance activities are carried out to assess the status of
all water bodies within the river basins, while operational activities aim to monitor
bodies of water which risk failing to meet water protection objectives [8, 9].
Water resources in Romania are both at the surface and underground.
In the updated National Management Plan related to the national portion of the
Danube river basin which is included in the Romanian territory, the following categories of surface waters are mentioned:
• Rivers (natural, highly modified and artificial)—78.905 km (cadastral rivers);
• Natural lakes—129;
• Transitional waters—781.37 km
2 (619.37 km
2 sea transitional waters and 162 km
2
Sinoe lake);
• Coastal waters—571.8 km
2 (116 km).
In terms of quality, Romanian watercourses are classified into three categories.
Category I—Waters which can become potable for the water supply of populated
centers, or which can be used to supply livestock farms and trout farms.
Category II—surface waters which can be used in fish farming (other than salmon
culture), for technological needs in industry and recreational activities.
Category III—waters for crop irrigation, power generation in hydropower plants,
industrial cooling plants, laundries and other uses for which such quality is acceptable, and the last category includes degraded waters where fish fauna cannot develop.
The assessment of surface water quality after 1999 is based on the processing
of primary analytical. This data was obtained monthly in 312 first order surveillance sections located in 14 river basins: Tisa—8, Olt—36; Some¸ s—28, Vedea—
8, Cri¸ suri—18; Arge¸ s—34, Mure¸ s—40, Ialomi¸ ta—19, Bega-Timi¸ s—21, Siret—49,
Nera-Cerna—5, Prut—19, Jiu—15, Danube—12 [1, 10].
4.2 Water Quality and Surface Water Pollution
The quality of surface water (but also groundwater) is rapidly damaged by pollutants
from domestic, agricultural and industrial activities. Surface water pollution and their
decontamination is easier to achieve compared to underground, slowly-polluting
waters, but the decontamination process is long-lasting and sometimes irreversible.
Water pollution is the alteration of physical, chemical and biological qualities of
water, produced directly or indirectly, naturally or anthropically [11, 12].
Pollution can occur:
• Continuously or permanently (e.g. city sewerage, industrial waste discharge);
• Discontinuously (e.g. pollution at certain time intervals);
• Temporarily (e.g. temporary colonies);
• Accidentally (e.g. in case of damage).