The Study on Integrated Water Management in the Republic of Bulgaria

1. The Study on Integrated Water Management in the Republic of Bulgaria Presentation for the Basin Council Meeting of EABD December 11th, 2007 At Plovdiv

2. Study Area • Country Area： About 110,000 km2 • Population： About 7.80 Million（Year 2003） • Per-capita GNP： US$ 3,100 （Year 2004） • Drainage Area of East Aegean River Basin District：35,230 km2 Whole country focusing EABD area East Aegean River Basin District

3. Integrated Water Management River Basin Management Water Quantity Management Water Quality Management Implementation Disaster Prevention Environmental Management Implementation Plan Decision Support Tools GIS Database Integrated Basin Analysis Model Monitoring Water Quantity Water Quality Environment Item which is covered by the present study Item which is not directly covered by the present study (consideration only)

4. Programmes of Measures for Water Quality Improvement and Management

5. Direction of the Programmes of Measures for Water Quality Improvement and Management (1) 1. Direction for the Structural Measures 1) Reduction of Pollution Load from the Catchment Areas. 2) Stop direct discharge of wastewater without treatment. 3) Wastewater treatment plants (New and Renovation). Start from major towns. Then, medium and smaller towns and settlements from high priority areas. 4) Treatment for nitrogen and phosphorous by the new WWTPs and by the existing WWTPs to be renovated s. 5) Improvement of sewer networks with treatment to prevent loss of pollutants as well as to prevent pollution of groundwater by the loss together with WWTPs.

6. Direction of the Programmes of Measures for Water Quality Improvement and Management (2) 2. Direction for the Non-structural Measures 6) Reduction of pollution load from the industries and big livestock farms by strengthening of regulation. 7) Improvement of septic tanks to sealed type or to introduce individual treatment. Periodically sludge should be extracted and treated. Financial support system to people shall be necessary for the improvement. 8) Reduction of pollution load from the agricultural lands by changing agricultural methods and technology to reduce chemical fertilizer and pesticide. 9) Cooperation of municipality for monitoring activity.

7. Hydro-biological Water Quality in EABD Area

8. Total BOD Load of Near Future Condition in EABD with Under-constructed and soon be constructed WWTPs

9. BOD Load by Unit Area for the Near Future Conditionin EABD

10. Zoning for the Priority Areas for Reduction of BOD Loadin EABD

11. High Priority Towns for WWTPs 1) Target reduction of pollution load (BOD load) against Near Future Load: required about 50 % to attain good status of water (such as Class II with BOD5 3.0 mg/l) for the Maritsa and Tundzha RB. 2) For the Arda RB, reduction of pollution load from Kardzhali Town will have the biggest impact for improvement. 3) For practical implementation until 2015 or 2021, BOD reduction of 30 % is set for the Maritsa, Tundzha and Arda River Basins. 4) Proposed High Priority Towns for the New WWTPs: 17 Towns Maritsa RB: 12 Towns (Assenovgrad, Karlovo, Velingrad etc.) Tundzha RB: 4 Towns (Yambol, Karnobat, Elhovo and Kalofer) Arda RB: 1 Town (Kardzhali)

12. High Priority Towns for WWTPs 5) Proposed Renovation of the Existing WWTPs: Maritsa RB: Nova Zagora, Radnevo and Ihitiman Tundzha RB: Pavel banya (Sliven WWTP will be renovated soon.) 6) Improvement, expansion or new construction of sewer networks: above 21 towns + Plovdiv (Total 22 towns)

13. Proposed High Priority Towns for WWTPs in EABD

14. Water Quantity Management

15. Direction for the Programme of Measures for Water Quantity Improvement and Management 1. Structural Measures 1) Improvement of water supply pipes to reduce water loss. Mainly asbestos cement pipes and steel pipes. 2) Improvement of irrigation facilities to provide irrigation area with optimum water volume and to make efficient water use including reduction of water loss.

16. Direction for the Programme of Measures for Water Quantity Improvement and Management • Non-structural Measures 1) Review and improvement of water use permission for optimum water intake and use, and also water transfer from other river basins to the Maritsa River basin based on the real water demand of each river basin. 2) Monitoring of water intake volume by installing measurement devices by water users for intake sides as well as Basin Directorate at key locations in the river. 3) Improvement of quality of the data required for water quantity management.

17. Water Supply Networks to be Improved 1) Length of water supply pipes of the Water Supply and Sewerage Companies covering major areas in EABD: Total length: about 19,319,000 m Asbestos cement pipe: about 14,089,000 m (73 %) Steel pipe: about 2,475,000 m (13 %) 2) It is necessary to replace the asbestos cement pipe and deteriorated steel pipe etc. to better pipes. Stage-wise implementation is required.

18. Damaged Asbestos Pipe and Steel Pipe Exhibited at Kyustendil WSS Co.

19. Damaged Asbestos Pipe Exhibited at Kyustendil WSS Co.

20. Irrigation System to be Improved 1) Irrigation Areas in EABD: total 3,164,686 deca. 2) Irrigarion Branches: Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Haskovo, Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol IBs and Burgas IB (a part) and Sofia IB (a part). 3) It is necessary for the irrigation systems to improve irrigation facilities of intakes, distribution facilities and others and to carry out stage-wise implementation to conduct an effective and optimum water use in each irrigation system.

21. Irrigation System in EABD Area

22. Zlokuchene Intake in Maritsa River Damaged by 2005 Flood

23. Damaged Gate of Zlokuchene Intake by the 2005 Flood

24. Destroyed Siphon crossing the Topolnitsa River (Aleko-Potoka Irrigation Canal) by the 2005 Flood

25. Deteriorated Distribution Gate (Aleko-Potoka Irrigation Canal near Pazardzhik)

26. Critical Water Balance and Status 1) Large amount of water transfer to the Maritsa River basin for Hydro Power, Irrigation and industrial sectors: • From Koprinka to Stara Zagora: 194 million m3/year • From Zhrebchevo to Nova Zagora: 33 million m3/year • From Hanovo to Ovcharitsa: 27 million m3/year • From Struma and Mesta RBs: 79 million m3/year • From Dospat RB: 140 million m3/year Total 473 million m3/year 2) Ratio of abstracted water volume against potential river flow seems to be very high (partly over 50%) in the Tundzha RB. 3) Negative impacts to the Struma, Mesta, Dospat and Tundzha RBs. 4) More detailed study will be necessary to manage efficient water abstraction and inter-basin transfer considering real water demand and environmental conservation.

27. Water Balance with Inter-basin Water Transfer in EABD 33 194 27 37 42 112 10 130 Water transfer (mil m3)

28. Example of Negative Impact of Water Abstraction to the Environment in Rila Mountain (Gran Cha Canal) Vegetation Granchar canal Intake Point Less vegetation

29. River Morphology (Maintenance of River Channel)

30. Management and Maintenance of the River Channel(One of the Part of the River Morphological Management) 1) Sand /Gravel extraction from the river bed or river bank causes unstable condition to the river channel. This will accelerate erosion of the river bank during floods. 2) Sand/Gravel extraction will degrade river bed profile, and will cause problems to intake structure, bank protection, and surrounding groundwater level. 3) Strict regulation of sand/gravel extraction is necessary. 4) Establishment of a system to control of any illegal or improper activities along the river, including dumping solid wastes, construction of structures and land development, is necessary for water and river management.

31. Photo of Sand and Gravel Extraction in the Maritsa River Sand Extraction during restricted for any activities time because of fish sprawn period near Milevo village Sand Extraction during restricted for any activities time because of fish sprawn period at Orizari village

32. Recommendation (1) 1) Establishment of a good cooperation system between Basin Directorate and Municipalities/people for participation in river basin management activities such as ocular observation, inspection and information to Basin Directorate for timely action. 2) Establishment of a good coordination system among related organizations to conduct an efficient and sustainable water management of the river basin. 3) Stage-wise implementation of reduction of pollution loads from the river basin by WWTPs with improvement of sewer networks as well as reduction of pollution load from industries etc. by regulation.

33. Proposed Key and Important Zones for Monitoring in EABD

34. Recommendation (2) 4) Enhancement of public awareness for river basin management and required participation of various sectors. 5) “River Maintenance Plan for Floods and Sediment Control” is necessary to be formulated for the basis for prevention of flood damages and controlling sand and gravel extraction etc. 6) Basic study on pressures and impacts by discharge of priority substances and existing closed mines in the basin to protect people from possible hazard caused by the toxic substances.

35. Thank You Very Much.