17 Water Problems in Urban Areas
409
17.5 Groundwater
Most cities in Poland use groundwater resources, whose conditions of occurrence and
the degree of recognition are very diverse. Because of their great economic and social
importance, two extensive monographs were devoted to them, in which the characteristics of resources, their use and threats were presented. The first study concerns
voivodeship capitals [132], and the later one—Polish cities above 50,000 inhabitants
[133]. The analysis, which takes into account only the capitals of voivodeships (18)
shows that the share of water extracted from groundwater intakes is about 56.5%.
Within all these cities there are the Main Underground Water Reservoirs (33), with
the fact that two are located under the entire city (Warsaw, Opole). Water intake in
three cities takes place only from groundwater intakes (Gorzów Wielkopolski, Kielce,
Opole), and a very high level of exploitation of these resources is in cities located
outside the valleys of large rivers (Białystok—99.9%, Lublin—94.0%, Łód´ z—
90.0%). Only two big cities (Katowice, Rzeszów) are supplied entirely from surface
waters. In areas having a high degree of urbanization and industrialization, there
are many potential outbreaks of groundwater pollution. They are connected with the
multidirectional economic activity, housing development, the impact of means of
transport and various forms of land use. The most endangered groundwater is within
the cities of Upper Silesia, where mining and industrial activities are carried out.
Exploitation of hard coal contributes to the lowering of the land and, consequently,
to the apparent rise in the groundwater table and the formation of floods, which affect
the quality of the Quaternary aquifer. A significantthreat to groundwater also occursin
cities in the strip of Polish lowlands, where Pleistocene aquifers dominate. There is
a very high and high degree of danger here, mainly due to the lack of or minimalnatural insulation layer (e.g. Gorzów Wielkopolski, Olsztyn, Bydgoszcz). High risk
of groundwater exists in the center of cities located directly above the GZWP (e.g.
Łód´ z, Cracow, Kielce, Gda´ nsk, Toru´ n). Despite the large threat to usable aquifers,
groundwater captured in most of these cities have relatively good physicochemical
and bacteriological quality.
17.6 Water Usage and Wastewater Treatment
Water usage in Polish cities [134] shows a downward trend from the beginning
of political changes, i.e. after 1989 (in 1990—8.8 bcm of water, in 2000—6.7, in
2012—4.7, 2016—4.3), while in entire Poland in this period it decreased from 15.1
bcm (1989) to 10.1 bcm (2016). This decline has been caused by the processes
of socio-economic transformation, with the biggest consequences in the industrial
sector (liquidation of unprofitable and water-intensive plants, introduction of new
industrial technologies and modernization of transmission installations), as well as
metering of water intake and a significant increase in its price [135]. In 2016 in Polish
409
17.5 Groundwater
Most cities in Poland use groundwater resources, whose conditions of occurrence and
the degree of recognition are very diverse. Because of their great economic and social
importance, two extensive monographs were devoted to them, in which the characteristics of resources, their use and threats were presented. The first study concerns
voivodeship capitals [132], and the later one—Polish cities above 50,000 inhabitants
[133]. The analysis, which takes into account only the capitals of voivodeships (18)
shows that the share of water extracted from groundwater intakes is about 56.5%.
Within all these cities there are the Main Underground Water Reservoirs (33), with
the fact that two are located under the entire city (Warsaw, Opole). Water intake in
three cities takes place only from groundwater intakes (Gorzów Wielkopolski, Kielce,
Opole), and a very high level of exploitation of these resources is in cities located
outside the valleys of large rivers (Białystok—99.9%, Lublin—94.0%, Łód´ z—
90.0%). Only two big cities (Katowice, Rzeszów) are supplied entirely from surface
waters. In areas having a high degree of urbanization and industrialization, there
are many potential outbreaks of groundwater pollution. They are connected with the
multidirectional economic activity, housing development, the impact of means of
transport and various forms of land use. The most endangered groundwater is within
the cities of Upper Silesia, where mining and industrial activities are carried out.
Exploitation of hard coal contributes to the lowering of the land and, consequently,
to the apparent rise in the groundwater table and the formation of floods, which affect
the quality of the Quaternary aquifer. A significantthreat to groundwater also occursin
cities in the strip of Polish lowlands, where Pleistocene aquifers dominate. There is
a very high and high degree of danger here, mainly due to the lack of or minimalnatural insulation layer (e.g. Gorzów Wielkopolski, Olsztyn, Bydgoszcz). High risk
of groundwater exists in the center of cities located directly above the GZWP (e.g.
Łód´ z, Cracow, Kielce, Gda´ nsk, Toru´ n). Despite the large threat to usable aquifers,
groundwater captured in most of these cities have relatively good physicochemical
and bacteriological quality.
17.6 Water Usage and Wastewater Treatment
Water usage in Polish cities [134] shows a downward trend from the beginning
of political changes, i.e. after 1989 (in 1990—8.8 bcm of water, in 2000—6.7, in
2012—4.7, 2016—4.3), while in entire Poland in this period it decreased from 15.1
bcm (1989) to 10.1 bcm (2016). This decline has been caused by the processes
of socio-economic transformation, with the biggest consequences in the industrial
sector (liquidation of unprofitable and water-intensive plants, introduction of new
industrial technologies and modernization of transmission installations), as well as
metering of water intake and a significant increase in its price [135]. In 2016 in Polish