2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

BULGARIA PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Bulgaria
Economics (2003)
GDP per capita US$2,130
GDP per capita (PPP) US$7,540
Agriculture 12%
Industry 31%
Services 58%
Legislation and management
The Ministry of Environment and Waters is responsible for co-ordinating water resource management
and development. Co-ordinating bodies are being developed at the river basin level. The Law on
Waters was passed in 1998. Integrated water resource management is currently being developed
through the strategy for unified management of waters and the strategy for development of the use of
water resources and water preservation.
Under these plans, the government is to develop and implement a permit system for effluent
discharges using a phased approach with interim limits and enforceable compliance schedules. In
addition, the cost recovery of services is to be improved through focusing on water metering and
collection practices, along with the implementation of a water effluent charge. The funding of the
completion of unfinished sewage treatment plants is being given priority in areas where maximum
benefits will occur, especially in tourist areas.
Population
Total (2003, million) 7.8
Total (2015, million) 7.2
In urban areas (2003) 68%
In urban areas (2015) 74%
In urban agglomerations (2000) 13%
Inland water quality 1993
Ia-II Very Good/Fair 35%
III-IV Poor/Bad 65%
The period after 1989 has seen a significant reduction of discharges into surface water and ground
water bodies, resulting in an improvement in their quality. The OECD has also noted a gradual
improvement in river water quality between 1990 and 1994. This improvement is probably due more
to the restrictions imposed on industrial effluent discharges and the closing down of certain industrial
enterprises, than due to industrial water treatment projects.
The government believes that 100% of the country’s groundwater is contaminated with nitrates and in
the most intensive farming areas the level exceeds by at least a factor of two the limit of 50mg/l. In
regions with mining and heavy engineering industries, the drinking water also contains metals and
arsenic. Approximately 55% of the population in these regions (482,983 people), periodically receive
sub-standard water. Of these people, 99.4% drink water with high iron, manganese and zinc levels,
while 0.6% drinks water with excessively high lead and arsenic levels. Bacterial contamination has
increased in recent years, exceeding EU and WHO standards in 5% of all samples.
Urban services
% Water 95%
% Sewerage 71%
% Sewage treated 40%
Infrastructure development
98% of the population (in 238 towns and 4,278 villages) are covered by the mains water supply. 95%
of drinking water supplied comes from localised sources serving one hundred to several thousand
consumers.
It is understood that most of the sewage treatment capacity is to the primary standard, while no
tertiary treatment facilities are currently in operation. Many of the new municipal wastewater
63 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006