Causes and Effects of Water Pollution in Romania

Abstract

After 2007, Romania adopted and implemented EU legislation on water management. Romanian groundwaters are polluted locally from point sources (landfills) and from diffuse sources of pollution (fertilizers, pesticides and canals, in urban areas). Over-exploitation of underground water wells can lead to indirect diffuse pollution, causing salty water intrusion, exploitation of mineral aggregates. In order to establish water quality, Romania applies a monitoring flow in accordance with the WFD, both for surface water bodies as well as for groundwater bodies. Nowadays are 3.027 surface water bodies from which 2470 are natural water bodies, 488 heavily modified water bodies and 69 artificial water bodies. 50% of all bodies of surface water have been classified as heavily modified water bodies (35%) or artificial water (15%) while 16% (23/143) of underground water bodies were outside the chemical parameters imposed by the rules. Pressures are generated by (i) human agglomeration (lack of connection to the sewerage system and to the sewage treatment plants); (ii) industry (wastewater discharges); (iii) agriculture (nutrient and pesticide emissions); (iv) hydrotechnical works (dams, dikes, sills, weirs, diversions); (v) other anthropic activities.