Access to Spring Quality Monitoring Data in Poland

Socio-economic Conditions

Abstract

Monitoring of the quality of groundwater in Poland takes place at over 1,400 points that meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive. Such points include, among others, wells, piezometers and springs. Access to good quality water is an important problem of the 21st century, which affects not only developing countries. It should be noted that many points from which drinking water is collected are located in urban spaces, where contamination often occurs. Anthropogenic activities may lead to an increase in the level of pollutants such as nitrates, chlorides and heavy metals or an increase in the number of bacteria. The most popular water is from the springs, which is taken by local residents and tourists. Research conducted in selected sources in the Silesian Voivodeship shows that the water consumed by people has increased concentrations of bacteria and some metals, such as iron and mercury. Unfortunately, for economic reasons, only 6 sources in the entire voivodeship are monitored. None of the analyzed points belong to this network.