Vodosnabdevanje i održivo upravljanje podzemnim vodnim resursima u Srbiji / Water supply and sustainable management of groundwater resources in Serbia

Similarly to the majority of European countries, the share of groundwater in public water supply in Serbia is around 75%. The greatest groundwater reserves are accumulated in substantial neogene and quaternary water-bearing deposits of intergranular porosity, as well as in karstified carbonate rocks. These are the only source of water supply of drinking water in Vojvodina and most of Serbia. Parts of the country with insignificant groundwater reserves are Sumadija and the southern regions, where surface waters are used to a greater extent. The hydrogeological studies conducted thus far show that around 30% of renewable groundwater reserves [67 m3/s] are exploited, excluding groundwaters obtained through artificial recharge or karstified aquifer regulation. In accordance with the water management master plan of Serbia, the share of groundwaters that can be obtained through artificial aquifer recharge is about 40 m3/s. Referring to the legislation of the Republic of Serbia that defines the quality and the conditions for the protection of groundwaters within the existing aquifer types that are used for public water supply to the citizens of Serbia, it has been noted that the alluvial aquifers are the most endangered, since their quality depends on the river water quality, as well as on the proximity of urban areas and the presence of agricultural and industrial activities. By passing the Water Act in 2010, Serbia transposed the standards, terminology and aims from the EU Water Framework Directive. In the by-laws and rulebooks stemming from the Water Act, 153 groundwater bodies of water have been identified in Serbia. The 2011 Law on Mining and Geological Researches should also be mentioned, as its provisions regarding groundwater resource research are not sustainable from the expert point of view. The aforementioned provisions of the said Law will certainly negatively impact the status of groundwaters in Serbia. In the process of groundwater exploitation, different types of problems occur. Alluvial aquifers are impaired by the relatively fast process of exploitation well ageing, while the over-exploitation of neogene aquifers occurs in several places in Serbia. The decrease in piezometric levels due to the many decades of groundwater over- exploitation has been recorded in Vojvodina. Despite the intensive exploitation of groundwaters in Serbia, they have not been studied to an adequate degree. For a more definite evaluation of groundwaters, i.e. obtaining information about the quality and the quantitative status of groundwaters, it is necessary to establish better monitoring of all aquifers, meaning to expand the scope of monitoring and to measure piezometric levels more frequently. The implementation of the joint transboundary aquifer management principles includes sustainable exploitation of groundwaters of neighboring countries. The aforementioned was the manner in which certain activities with Hungary and Bulgaria were conducted in the past years.