EU-CONFORMITY OF WATER PROTECTION IN AUSTRIAN AGRICULTURE AND WATER MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The annual water supply from precipitation in Austria is high (98 billion m³/a). Thus, water protection measures have had high priority for decades. Apart from the stipulation of strong emission thresholds for trade and industry the extension of public sewerage systems and sewage treatment plants have been forced intensively, so that the number of households connected to a public wastewater purification system was already up to 89% in 2003. As a consequence the current state analysis of the running waters and the first risk assessment carried out by the ministry for agriculture and forestry, environment and water management in the course of implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive document that most of the running waters have a “good status” with regard to the physicochemical components including the saprobiological quality. Less satisfying, however, is the status of running waters according to hydromorphological parameters. All lakes with a surface of more than 0.5 km² have at least a “good status”, and some even a “very good status”. Excluding some percent of the countries territory the ground-water quality fulfils also the targets of purity. According to the Austrian Water Act ground-water has to be everywhere at the status of drinking water quality. With respect to this principle and with the view of reduction the nutrient migration from agricultural areas into surface waters in a most effectively way the EU-Nitrates Directive and its action programme is implemented throughout the country. Extracts of the recent action programme (2003) are communicated and an outlook is presented on the adoption of the fertilization regime if such a need will be given in the further process of implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.