In the period from May to August in 1996, the samples for hydro-biological and inchthyological from the following localities were collected: the Klaicka river, the Radevacka river, the Sumanka river and the Lipovacka river (Serbia, Yugoslavia). The water quality was determined n the basis of bioindicator values and the abundance of particular species of phytoplankton, zooplankton, bottom fauna and fish community. According to the portion of plankton organisms, the saprobic index for the Klaicka river was between 2.01 and 2.57, for the Radevacka river it was between 2.83 and 2.93, for the Sumanka river between 2.59-2.78 and for the Lipovacka river this index had a value between 2.72 and 2.83. Among the botton fauna, 10 zoobenthic groups were determined. The highest frequency and abundance was registered in the groups of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera, and the water quality is between oligo- o-beta-mesosaprobic (the Lipovacka river), -beta-mesosaprobic (the Klaicka river), o-beta to alfa-mesosaprobic (the Radevacka river) and beta to alfa-mesosaprobic (the Sumanka river). The ichthyofauna of the Klaicka and Sumanka rivers include the species like southern barbel, chub and spirlin. Basing on the fact, the water quality was determined as beta-mesosaprobic (1.65). The majority of results point to the satisfactory biological quality of water in this hydroecosystem, which is, therefore, considered to be one of the potential sources of water supply.

As a result of this study the overload by pollutants and low quality of canal water in the zone downstream of Vrbas and Srbobran towns (Serbia, Yugoslavia) has been recorded. Regarding to started work on demudification of canal bottom in the industrial zone of Vrbas town, in the course of 2000 the additional investigations of mud profile downstrean of wastewater discharge into the canal have been done. In the investigated mud samples the extremely high number of organotrophic bacteria was found (up to 1.7 x 10**10 cfu/ml), but also high number of conditionally pathogenic bacteria (opportunistic bacteria) was recorded. Also, the high number of fecal (thermo-tolerant) coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella - Enterobacter - Citrobacter group of bacteria), as well as the presence of colifags was found. Such findings indicate possible bad consequences to the health of humans contacting this mud, as well as to the ground water quality, indirectly, via drainage water.