Hrvatske vode, Vol. 32 No. 130, 2024.
Review article
A contribution to understanding the issues of treated wastewater discharges into the underground
Zoran Nakić
orcid.org/0000-0001-6353-8500
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Rudarsko-geološko-naftni fakultet, Zahreb Hrvatska
*
Borna-Ivan Balaž
orcid.org/0000-0002-2642-3576
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Rudarsko-geološko-naftni fakultet, Zahreb Hrvatska
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The paper presents regulatory and scientific aspects of treated wastewater discharges into the underground. The legal basis for artificial aquifer recharge and treated wastewater discharges into the underground is elaborated. Since it derives from EU directives, guidelines from relevant CIS guides, created as part of activities under the Common Implementation Strategy for the Water Framework (2000/60/EZ), are presented. In addition, the Croatian legal framework enabling treated wastewater discharges into the underground is described in detail. The possibilities of artificial recharging of groundwater with treated wastewater are presented, the importance of developing conceptual models for decision-making regarding the approach to treated wastewater discharges into the underground are described, including the most frequently applied methods of treated wastewater discharges. The importance and implementation of environmental impact assessments of wastewater discharges on groundwater quality are particularly taken into account. Finally, relevant examples of approaches to treated wastewater discharges into the underground are also presented, since they could be used in the preparation of guidelines and criteria for the Croatian approach to impact analyses of indirect discharges of treated wastewater on the status of groundwater and related and/or dependant ecosystems.
Keywords
wastewater discharges; underground; artificial recharge; conceptual model; legislation; European Union; Republic of Croatia
Hrčak ID:
334256
URI
Publication date:
30.1.2025.
Visits: 1.024 *