WATER POLLUTION IN TIMIS COUNTY
A.M. BALINT and A.P. NECULAE
West University of Timisoara, Romania,
balint@physics.uvt.ro, neculae@physics.uvt.ro
ABSTRACT
The present work is a brief inventory of the water resources and water
consumption in Romania and an evaluation of the water quality in Timis county
(neighbour of Serbia). This evaluation concerns rivers, groundwater, fountains
and drinking water in Timisoara. The main causes of pollution and the critical
zones are identified. Finally, a set of measures in order to improve the present
situation are presented.
Keywords: water resources; water sampling; water quality; pollutants;
Timisoara.
Introduction
Romania is a state situated in SE Central Europe, north of the Balkan Peninsula, on the
Lower Danube and bordering on the Black Sea. It has an area of 238,391 km2 (91,843
miles2), 3,149.9 km of boundaries and a population of 22,526,096 inhabitants (in 1998).
Fig. 1. Romania. Geographical map.
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Romania’s water resources are made up of the surface waters – inner rivers, natural and
anthrop lakes, the Danube – and in a smaller measure, 10% respectively, the groundwater.
Potentially and technically usable water resources are presented in table 1.
Table1. [1]
Total
3
Thousand m
Water source
Characteristic indicator
A. Inland rivers
1. Theoretic resource
2. Existing resource according to the arrangement degree of the hydrographic basins
3. Water demand of uses according to catchments capacities being in function
B The Danube (directly)
1. Theoretic resource (in the entrance section in the country
2. Usable resource in current arrangement regime
3. Water demand of uses according to catchments capacities being in function
C. Groundwater
1. Theoretic resource
out of which:
- phreatic water
- deep water
40000000
13805691
3682569
87000000
20000000
3477013
9600000
4700000
4900000
2. Usable resource
3. Water demand of uses according to the catchments capacities being in function
Total resource
1. Theoretic resource
2. Existing resource according to the arrangement degree of hydrographic basins
3. Water demand of uses according to the catchments in function
4. Water demand for ecological protection
6677150
754144
136600000
40482841
7913726
4341972
As reported to the country’s current population it means :
3
- the specific usable resource in natural regime, of about 2660 m /inhabitant/year,
considering also the Danube’s contribution;
3
- the theoretic specific resource, of about 1770 m /inhabitant/year, considering only the
contribution of the inland rivers, placing our country, from this point of view, in the category
of the countries with relatively small water resources in comparison with the other countries’
resources.
3
3
The water samplings decreased from 20.4 billion m in 1990 to 5.29 billion m in the 2006
due of economic activity reduction, water consumption reduction in the technological
processes, reduction of losses, enforcement of the economic gear in the water management.
For 2006, the water resources’ utilization degree (need/sampling report) is presented in table
2.
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Table 2. [1]
Water samplings
Water demand
Activity
Population
Industry
Agriculture
Total
Amount
3
(billion m )
1.13
5.64
1.13
7.90
Activity
Population
Industry
Agriculture
Total
Utilisation degree
Amount
3
%
(billion m )
1.12
3.74
0.43
99.1
66.3
38.1
5.29
67.0
The water sampling was 67.0% of the total demand of water due to the water overestimations’ needs, particularly in industry and agriculture, as well as to the economic
mechanism applied in the water management.
Water resources and water quality measurements in Timis county
The Timis county is situated in the west of Romania, in the historical region Banat, with the
county seat at Timişoara. With a total area of 8,697 km² (3,6% of Romania) it is the largest
county in Romania. In 2006, it had a population of 685,901 inhabitants.
Fig. 3 Timis county. Geographical map.
Synthetic presentations of water resources, water samplings distribution, global quality in
2006 and its water consumption evolution between 2003 and 2006 are given in tables 3-5,
and figure 4, respectively.
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Table 3. Water resources in Timis county [2]
Surface resources
County
(mil. m3)
Theoretic
Usable
Timiş
400
215
Groundwater resources
(mil.m3)
Theoretic
Usable
500
375
Table 4. Water samplings (in thousands m3) [2]
Bega-Timis basin
Aranca basin
Programmed Realised Programmed Realised
1 Industry
25.469
21.778
434
491
2 Agriculture 16.470
15.167
185
201
3 Population 50.252
44.405
1.734
1.868
Total
92.191
81.350
2.353
2.560
Total
Programmed
25.903
16.655
51.986
94.544
Realised
22.269
15.368
46.273
83.910
Table 5. Global quality for water in Timis county [2]
BEGA
TIMIŞ
Hydrographic basin BEGA –TIMIŞ
170
150
916
Total length (km)
I
II
III
96
40
34
50
100 186 247 430
IV
53
V
-
Fig. 4. Water sampling evolution 2003-2006 [2]
The main critical zone from surface waters pollution point of view is a length of 34 km of
Bega river, outside Timisoara in the border direction. The diminishing of the water quality (II
class to IV class) is due to waste water conducted in Bega, only mechanically purged (a new
station for purifying the water is under construction). For the groundwater, the most
important pollutants reported were: organic suspensions, ammonium, phosphates and
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nitrides. During 2006, accidentally, even 10 to 100 times bigger values then admitted were
reported in Timis and Bega basins. The main polluters were identified in the water managing
companies of the most important cities of the county (Timisoara, Lugoj, Deta) and S.C.
Smithfield (pork elevating company). The influence of the agricultural activity is not very
important.
The urbanization plan of Timisoara – having a plane surface of 3500 ha, like Bruxelles, but a
population only of 40 000, i.e. 10 times less at that time – was made at the beginning of the
XX-the century. So, the project was made estimating 60 000 citizens. The Bega channel was
rearranged, highly navigated, constructed on it one of the first hydro-power plants, called
“Turbines” (1910). Later, appearing high water consuming new industries, (e.g. textiles), big
monumental buildings with tens of apartments, avenues etc. and a new water supply system
as well as new canalization imposed.
There have been proposed three solutions concerning drinking water supply, namely: to use
underground water existing at 20 and 80 m deep aquifers all around the town; to use Bega
water – despite its unsatisfactory quality (even in present!); or to transport drinking water
from the river Mures through pipes tens of kilometres long.
In 1914 was inaugurated the first water supply plant using underground water; in 1959 the
second (Bega water), then a third one – no drinking water supply – and in 1981 the fourth
plant, Aquatim (Bega water).
In 1915 were assured 50 l/day drinking water for each citizen and the consumption now is
more than 250 l/day. In 1940 the water supplying network in Timisoara was 127 km long; in
1960 of 158 km; in 1975 practically the double, 318 km, and now more than 500 km.
During the last three years we have analysed the quality of drinking water in our town. The
results of some of our measurements concerning the water from Bega, Aquatim, Balcescu
drilled fountain and from a spring in S-E of Timisoara in comparison with the reference
values are presented in the figures 6 to 17.
Fig. 6. pH values.
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Fig. 7. O2 values (in mg/l).
Fig. 8. Suspensions values (in mg/l).
Fig. 9. Conductivity values (in μS/cl).
Fig. 10. NO2 values (in mg/l).
Fig. 11. NO3 values (in mg/l).
Fig. 12. NH4 values (in mg/l).
Fig. 13. Chlorides values (in mg/l).
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Fig. 14. SO4 values (in mg/l).
Fig. 15. PO4 values (in mg/l).
Fig. 16. Fe values (in mg/l).
Fig. 17. Mn+ values (in mg/l).
Conclusions
The main problems with the quality of drinking water in Timisoara are:
- high concentration of Fe existing in groundwater over 0.4 mg/l (admitted 0.2 mg/l)
- high concentration of Mn 0.2 mg/l (admitted 0.05 mg/l )
- NH4 (admitted 1 mg/l)
- phenols (admitted 0.001 mg/l)
- to eliminate the existing silicon oxides (SiO2)
- turbidity of the water after rains
In order to improve the water quality, a long term investments plan (up to 2018) is under
development. It focuses on the localities with more then 2000 inhabitants, and consists
mainly in changing the infrastructure used in collecting and purifying the water, and finding
new sources of water.
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References
[1] Romania. Water quality report 2006 (www.mmediu.ro)
[2] Report on water quality in Timis county 2006 (www.apmtm.ro)
[3] A.A. Ardelean, Apa potabila in judetul Timis, Diploma work, 2005.
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