Drinking Water Protection in Austria

Dr. Jochen SchlambergerState Government of Carinthia,

Dep. 8 – Environment, Energy and ConservationSubdep. Geology und Watermonitoring

1Mittwoch, 5. Dezember 2018

Topics

• Austrian Water Law

• Guidelines for drinking water protection

• Protection zones in

Porous Aquifers

Karst Aquifers

Not Karstified Aquifers

• Protection measures

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Water Legislation Austria - Austrian Water Law 1959

public water: rivers, lakes i.g.

private water: groundwater and springs belong to each landowner and are private water (§3 WRG).

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Water Legislation Austria - Austrian Water Law 1959

The use of springs is free for the landowner. If the use has an influence on foreign rights or on the quality or quantity of foreign private water you need an authorization by the water act authority.

The use of groundwater is free for the own use of the landowner. For all other uses an authorization (water act permit) is needed.

Austrian Water Law 1959 –Protection Zones I, II and III

For the protection of water supply facilities against pollution or against impairment of quantity, the water act authority defines Protection Zones with regulations for the use of land.

Parties to the procedure are the landowners within the Protection Zones.

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Austrian Water Law 1959 –Protection Zones

the landowner must be paid compensation for losses incurred due to the regulations and restrictions within the decreed Protection Zones.

The technical procedures for the defining of the Protection Zones are defined in guidelines, which are not part of the Water Law.

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Drinking Water Protection - Guidelines

ÖVGW (austrian association for gas and water) -Guideline W 72: Protection Zones and Sanctuaries („Schutz- und Schongebiete“) – for porous aquifers

ÖWAV (austrian association for water and wastewater) -Guideline 201: Guidelines for Use and Protection of Karst Aquifers („Praktische Anleitung für die Nutzung und den Schutz von Karstwasservorkommen“)

ÖWAV-Guideline 205: Use and Protection of Springs in Not-Karstified Areas („Nutzung und Schutz von Quellen in nicht verkarsteten Bereichen“) – for springs of porous aquifers, fissured aquifers and hillside debris

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Protection Zones - basics

Groundwater und springs are used as drinking water without treating.

Therefor every spring and well, which is used for drinking water supply, needs protection zones (preventative protection).

Protection Zones I (capture zone), Zone II (part of the recharge area), zone III/sanctuary (chemical protection – catchment area)

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Protection Zones in Porous Aquifers

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Groundwater travel time: 60 days Cone of depression

Catchment area

Protection Zone III or sanctuary in PorousAquifers

protection against chemical pollution („chemical zone“)

Delineation by hydrogeologic criteria (boundary of the aquifer, settlements, pollutants, etc.)

Complete recharge area or bigger part of the recharge area or 1 year groundwater travel time

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Practice in Carinthia

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I

II

sanctuary

Klagenfurt/Celovec WW SouthCa. 100.000 enhabitants

Zone I: 9 wells, fenced

Zone II: 60 days travelling time of GWNo buildings, Farming in a GW protecting way (grassland)

Sanctuary: big part of recharge areaNo new parcels for buildings

I

II

sanctuary

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Protection Zone II in Karst Aquifers

To measure according to the 60 days traveltime of the ground water is not possible (the travel times are too high)

Basis: mapping of the hazards and vulnerability in the catchment area (risk analyses).

Part of the catchment area, which has an influence on the water supply in quality and/or quantity

Also small areas with discharge to the water supply like dolines, fissures, faults…

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Protection Zone III or sanctuary in Karst Aquifers

Should be the whole hydrographic catchment area (recharge area)

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Practice in Carinthia – Peca area

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II II

S a n c t u a r y

Union spring - Villach

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IIIsanctuary

Protection Zone II for springs inNot-Karstified Aquifers

(springs of porous aquifers and fissured aquifers, hillside debris)

Basis:

Delineation of the catchment area(hydrogeologic investigations)

characteristics of the aquifer (spring discharge, hydrochemistry, isotop-chemistry, travel time,…)

Classify the hazards in the catchment area

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Protection Zone II in Not-Karstified Aquifers

Springs in porous aquifers:

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Zone II: traveltime 60 days

Protection Zone II in Not-Karstified Aquifers

Springs in fissured aquifers or hillside debris

Unisotrop, heterogene aquifer with high hydraulic gradient (and fast travel time)

Zone II: total recharge area (basis: waterbalance)

favorable aquifer characteristics (longerretention periode, aquifer covered with not permeable beds,…) and absence of hazards theprotection zone II can be reduced.

Minimal extend: 100mMittwoch, 5. Dezember 2018 21

Catchment area

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IZone II

Catchment area

Pfarrquelle, Zelezna Kapla – Zone II Zone II: total recharge area (basis: water

balance: 300.000m²)

F= 80.400 m²

argumentation:

favorable aquifer characteristics (long retentionperiode >10 years (isotop hydrology) andabsence of hazards (whole catchment area: forest, no settlements)

In this case the protection zone II can bereduced.

Minimal extend: 100mMittwoch, 5. Dezember 2018 23

Protection Zone III or sanctuary for springsin Not-Kartsified Aquifers

For springs with high importance for the watermanagement:

Big part of the catchment area

Groundwater travelling time maximum 1 year

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Pfarrquelle- Zelezna Kapla

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Protection measures – Zone I

Fenced

Prohibited: walking, driving, agriculture and forestry use, storage and use of substances hazardous to water, fertilization.

Allowed: measures for conservation and operation of the water facilities

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Protection measures – Zone IIprohibited:

Construction of new buildings, public streets and parking areas, sports grounds, cemeteries

Storage and use of substances hazardous to water and fertilizers other than those required for proper agricultural and forestry use

infiltration of waste water, modified thermal water, and substances hazardous to water,

the use of salts and chemicals on roads

exploitation of mineral deposits (mining), …..Mittwoch, 5. Dezember 2018 27

Protection measures – sanctuary

special measures must be announced to the water act authority, or authorization is needed, or measures are interdicted. For example:

Construction of buildings without waste water: must be announced

Construction of buildings with waste water, but without infiltration: authorization

Construction of buildings with waste water, but with infiltration: interdicted

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Protection measures – sanctuary

Authorisation:

Building of forest roads; Construction, modification, and operation of ski slopes; Making artificial snow by using native water

Interdicted:

Making artificial snow by using chemical and/or biological substances; Landfills and waste water treatments; mining of rocks and gravels

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for attention

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