6
A . M . N e g m e t a l .
1.3 Water Quality
Chapter 2 addresses an overview of water quality issues in line with the environmental
objectives of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. Romania’s accession to
the EU in 2007 led to the generation of river basin management plans that monitor
and manage the water resource and its quality. The first management plans that
are in line with the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive
2000/60/EC date back to 2004. Through the studies that led to the design of the
management plans, it was emphasized that the industrial and mining activities, as
well as the lack of sewerage systems and treatment plants (in the area of rural and
urban small towns), represent the main sources of degradation of water quality. The
methodology consisted of the analysis of water management plans within river basins,
data from the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, and data
obtained on field studies in eastern Romania. The sources identified as diminishing
water quality are those belonging to old industries, rural settlements, agriculture,
and new smaller industries. The Danube River Basin extends to the neighbouring
countries of Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova in
the area of Romania. Thus in the border area with these countries, there is a crossborder influence on water quality. Hydrographic basin management plans contain
management measures to increase the surface and underground water quality. In
order to reduce surface and underground water pollution, the implementation of the
measures mentioned in the hydrographic basin management plans started in 2009,
in order to reduce water pollution.
Chapter 3 shows that Romanian legislation correctly reflects the environmental
requirements agreed at EU level, but the real challenge is effective field enforcement,
due to lack of adequate planning, coordination, and funding. The distribution on
hydrographic basins shows that the accidental pollution cases are ranging between
67 and 3, most accidental pollutions occurring in Mures (67), Arges-Vedea (61),
Olt (43), Siret (40) and Prut (36), a few cases being recorded in Banat (3) and
Crisuri (6). By year, most cases have been noticed in 2017 (70), 2012 (65), 2015
(63). Groundwater quality monitoring revealed that in 2016, about 16% (23/143)
underground water bodies were outside the chemical parameters imposed by the
standards. In 2016, there were reported 47 accidental pollutions, the distribution of
which according to the nature of the pollutant is as follows: untreated wastewater
18 events—accounting for 38.30% of the total accidents; petroleum products 14
events—29.79%; semi-solid waste 6 events—12.76%; pollution of other nature 4
events—8.51%; unidentified substances 3 events—6.38%; mine water 1 event—
2.13%; chemicals that attract low oxygenation 1 event—2.13%. It has been noticed
a particular situation where almost half of the residents are not connected to the
sewage system, therefore wastewater is directly transferred to the natural emissary.
In addition, it is highlighted a slow continuous increase regarding the beneficiaries of
treated wastewater from 40.2% (2005) to 47.8% (2015), from which currently only
1.9% do not treat the collected wastewaters.
A . M . N e g m e t a l .
1.3 Water Quality
Chapter 2 addresses an overview of water quality issues in line with the environmental
objectives of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. Romania’s accession to
the EU in 2007 led to the generation of river basin management plans that monitor
and manage the water resource and its quality. The first management plans that
are in line with the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive
2000/60/EC date back to 2004. Through the studies that led to the design of the
management plans, it was emphasized that the industrial and mining activities, as
well as the lack of sewerage systems and treatment plants (in the area of rural and
urban small towns), represent the main sources of degradation of water quality. The
methodology consisted of the analysis of water management plans within river basins,
data from the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, and data
obtained on field studies in eastern Romania. The sources identified as diminishing
water quality are those belonging to old industries, rural settlements, agriculture,
and new smaller industries. The Danube River Basin extends to the neighbouring
countries of Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova in
the area of Romania. Thus in the border area with these countries, there is a crossborder influence on water quality. Hydrographic basin management plans contain
management measures to increase the surface and underground water quality. In
order to reduce surface and underground water pollution, the implementation of the
measures mentioned in the hydrographic basin management plans started in 2009,
in order to reduce water pollution.
Chapter 3 shows that Romanian legislation correctly reflects the environmental
requirements agreed at EU level, but the real challenge is effective field enforcement,
due to lack of adequate planning, coordination, and funding. The distribution on
hydrographic basins shows that the accidental pollution cases are ranging between
67 and 3, most accidental pollutions occurring in Mures (67), Arges-Vedea (61),
Olt (43), Siret (40) and Prut (36), a few cases being recorded in Banat (3) and
Crisuri (6). By year, most cases have been noticed in 2017 (70), 2012 (65), 2015
(63). Groundwater quality monitoring revealed that in 2016, about 16% (23/143)
underground water bodies were outside the chemical parameters imposed by the
standards. In 2016, there were reported 47 accidental pollutions, the distribution of
which according to the nature of the pollutant is as follows: untreated wastewater
18 events—accounting for 38.30% of the total accidents; petroleum products 14
events—29.79%; semi-solid waste 6 events—12.76%; pollution of other nature 4
events—8.51%; unidentified substances 3 events—6.38%; mine water 1 event—
2.13%; chemicals that attract low oxygenation 1 event—2.13%. It has been noticed
a particular situation where almost half of the residents are not connected to the
sewage system, therefore wastewater is directly transferred to the natural emissary.
In addition, it is highlighted a slow continuous increase regarding the beneficiaries of
treated wastewater from 40.2% (2005) to 47.8% (2015), from which currently only
1.9% do not treat the collected wastewaters.