Freshwater - Drivers and pressures (Croatia)

Water use

The average annual quantity of water abstracted for the needs of the population and industry in the period 2004-2008 amounted to 530 million m³, and the largest quantities were used for public water supply (Table 3).

In 2006, the average population coverage rate for public water supply systems amounted to approx. 80% (91 % in the Adriatic sea basin district and 77 % in the Danube River basin district).

Table 3. Abstracted water by use (average for 2004–2008)

Wastewater – point sources

The quality of urban and industrial wastewater is monitored in accordance with the requirements of the Ordinances [3, 4], which transposed into the national legislation the majority of requirements of the UWWT Directive and E-PRTR Decision. According to estimates, the quantity of organic pollution in industrial wastewater (tonnes COD_Cr) was reduced in the period 2006-2008 (Figure 5), and the most significant decrease was recorded in the Danube River basin district.

In 2008, there were 101 operational urban wastewater treatment plants (Figure 6) with installed capacity of 3.48 million PE, treating 27% of wastewater from total population, i.e. 62 % of collected domestic wastewater. 15% of urban wastewater is treated at secondary treatment plants, 9% at pretreatment plants, 3% at primary treatment plants and 0.4% at tertiary treatment plants.

The connection rate of the population to public sewerage systems in agglomerations of more than 150,000 PE is the highest and amounts to 74 % (approximately 30% of total population lives in such agglomerations), and the lowest in so-called small agglomerations of 2,000 PE, amounting to approx. 7 % (there are 469 small agglomerations with approx. 13 % of total population).

Non-point sources of water pollution

Non-point pollution from agriculture is estimated on the basis of: land area, category of land use, calculation of fertilisers and soil assessment (Figure 7). The pressure was estimated based on indicators relating to regular agricultural activities, through consumption of mineral fertilisers and quantities of organic fertilisers from animal farms. The highest nitrogen loads from non-point sources of pollution are found in the Danube River basin district.