Groundwater abstraction

B. Public Sewerage Development Plan

• construction, expansion and increase of the hydraulic capacity of sewage networks in municipalities from agglomerations larger than 2,000 EO, construction, expansion and increase of the capacity of waste water treatment plants in municipalities from agglomerations larger than 2,000 EO (agglomerations with the highest priority are contained in Annex No. 6),
• construction of sewer networks and wastewater treatment plants in agglomerations up to 2,000 EO, located in protected water management areas, in which there are large-capacity sources of groundwater and which aim to prevent threats to quality and quantity of groundwater so that their use is not endangered (CHVO Žitný ostrov),
• construction of wastewater treatment plants, or feeder to another sewage system in municipalities included in agglomerations of less than 2,000 EO, in cases where a sewage network is already built or partially built and wastewater is discharged without treatment.

• ongoing construction, expansion and increase of the hydraulic capacity of sewer networks and capacity increase and construction of new waste water treatment plants in all municipalities of the Slovak Republic (except municipalities falling under the National Program for the Implementation of Council Directive 91/271/EEC).

• Classification of municipalities into sewage systems by district in size categories of up to 2,000 inhabitants, from 2,001 to 10,000 inhabitants and over 10,000 inhabitants by district. The list of municipalities is given in the appendices of the Public Sewerage Development Plan.

• The concept of renewal of public waterworks and public sewerage systems is elaborated in a separate annex of the public sewerage development plan.

Sustainable Use and Effective Protection of Natural Resources
 

Goals: A good condition and water potential of all water bodies through the restoration of river ecosystems will be accomplished.

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.  

 
Orientation, Principles and Priorities of the Slovak Republic Water Management  Policy by 2027 (2016)

3. PRINCIPLES AND PRIORITIES OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC WATER MANAGEMENT POLICY BY 2027 AND FRAMEWORK PROCEDURES IN ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVES:
Priorities of water management
In order to ensure the efficient use of water resources:

• Ensure fair and sustainable use of water resources;

• Ensure that water resource management was in line with environmental ethic based on balancing the resources and needs of water, or water accounting in a river basin, which at the same time has a direct link also to addressing the water scarcity problem.
• Based on the indicators of water scarcity, to determine the manner of efficient use of water for water-exploiting industries, especially for industry and energy, agriculture and households;
• Identify alternative sources of groundwater. These resources should be of good quality properties, long residence time and low vulnerability. Where there are not enough good-quality groundwater resources, it is necessary to look for alternative solutions within the surface waters, for example through water supply of available water systems;

The Slovak Republic Strategy for Adaptation to Adverse Effects of Climate Change- Update (2018)

1. Strategy Goals

The main goal of the updated the Slovak Republic Strategy for Adaptation to Adverse Effects of Climate Change is to prepare Slovakia for tackling the adverse effects of climate change, deliver comprehensive information about the current state of adaptation processes in Slovakia, and based on their analysis establish an institutional framework for a coordinating mechanism which will ensure effective implementation of adaptation measures across all levels and in all areas, as well as improve general awareness of the domain.
 
5. Impact of climate change on select areas and recommended adaptation measures
 
5.4. Water regime and water management
 
Adaptation measures in local conditions should aim at compensating for the instances of drought, that is, the decrease of flows of water and water yields, as well as minimising the negative consequences of floods, especially flash floods in montane and submontane regions. Climate change adaptation within the domain of water management should be oriented towards implementing measures which will create the conditions for better water outflow management in catchment areas. In the domain of water management elements of green and blue infrastructure, green structural approaches and non-structural adaptation concepts should be prioritised over elements of grey infrastructure whenever it is technically possible and efficient to do so. Adaptation measures should focus on preserving or improving the current state of water, with the aim of achieving its good state, efficient and sustainable utilisation of water resources, protection against floods and contribution towards protection of nature and land and support with ecosystem services provision. It is important to create space for a wider application of so-called "green" measures in catchment areas where the main goal is to increase the land's adaptability through regeneration and improvement of efficiency of ecosystem functions of the land. "Green" measures are recognised as the better environmental choice, that is, as supplementary-mitigating measures with the aim of minimising the consequences of grey infrastructure, assuming that they are equally effective or more effective in regards to set goals.
Water is becoming a critical strategic stock of the state and it is necessary to protect it and manage its rational and efficient use in line with the goal of ensuring sustainable development. Justifiably, the highest priority is given to water sources, their protection and the need of their more efficient use.

Proposed adaptation measures
-slowing down of water outflow from catchment areas
-decreasing of the maximum flow of floods
-risk assessment
-water management
-general

The Protocol on Water and Health - to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, 1992 - National objectives of SR III (2014)

The reason for the Protocol´s objectives update in 2014 is their fulfilment, or the need of extending the deadlines for the fulfilment of objectives which are still actual, as well as determining new national objectives conditioned by the situation change and the occurrence of new problems to which the attention must be paid, and which seem to be important in terms of Protocol´s objectives implementation in SR. SR has defined the national objectives already for the third time since the Protocol entered into force.

National objectives of SR III

National objective no.11: Increasing public awareness of water and aquatic ecosystems protection and educational activities
Date of fulfilment: y. 2020

National objective no. 12: Strengthening the protection of water resources
Date of fulfilment: y. 2015 – 2020