Surface water quality

1. Enough clean water for everyone

1.1 The prevention of water pollution
- Illegally discharged waste water from households, commerce and services, but also from the industry or leakage from environmental burdens and agricultural activity, significantlypollute surface and ground water. Strengthening and streamlining of controls, documentation of legal waste water disposal and a threat of real effective sanctions will help limit these actions.

1.3. Elimination of adverse impacts on water courses

- In terms of the impact on water status, there are three main groups of significant hydromorphological changes: a disruption of longitudinal connection of the rivers and the habitats, a disruption of transverse connection of wetlands and inundation with sewer and other morphological changes and hydrological changes. It is therefore essential to focus on the revitalization and re-naturalization of water courses and the adjacent riverine landscapes and to ensure the coherence of water courses, which is one of the basic conditions for the functioning of river ecosystems.
- The prioritization of renewal of land improvement channels will be set, depending on their function and use. Land improvement channels can also drain water from areas, where it is necessary. For this reason, it will be important to assess where the operation and maintenance of channels is needed and where it is environmentally harmful.

Slovak Water Plan (2016)

Environmental objectives aim to ensure and improve the quality of aquatic ecosystems and sustainable, balanced and equitable water use. Environmental targets are defined for surface water bodies, the groundwater bodies and the protected areas.

Environmental target for surface water bodies is to perform measures aimed at:

• Preventing deterioration of the condition of surface water bodies;
• Protection, improvement and renewal of surface water bodies so that the good condition of surface water is achieved until 22 December 2015 and 2021, respectively;
• Protection and improvement of artificial and considerably changed surface water bodies so that the good ecological potential and good chemical condition are achieved until 22 December 2015 and 2021, respectively;
• Gradual decreasing in pollution by priority substances and stopping or gradual termination of emissions, discharge and leakages of priority dangerous substances.

Strategy of SR adaptation to adverse impacts of climate change (2018)

5. Strategy objectives

To propose appropriate set of proactive adaptation measures and mechanisms to their implementation within the framework of sectoral policies, development strategies and action plans at all levels of the process;

8. Proposed adaptation measures in individual areas

8.5.3. Water management

Adaptation measures in our country should be directed to the compensation of drought manifestations, i.e. the decrease of flows and water resource yields, as well as to minimization of adverse consequences of flooding, particularly of flash floods in mountain and foothill areas. Adapting to the climate change in water management area should be focused on the implementation of measures leading to the creation of conditions for the better management of runoff in the river basin.

Water is becoming a critical strategic resource of the state which must be protected, and its efficient and effective use must be managed, in accordance with an objective of sustainable development ensuring. Rightly, the biggest attention is paid to water resources, their conservation and the need for more efficient use.

Measures to prevent degradation of water by contamination

- reducing contaminants in water bodies in accordance with the Slovak Water Plan