Drinking Water Supply from Karst Water Resources (The Example of the Kras Plateau, SW Slovenia)

Abstract

Na Krasu je bil od nekdaj največji problem oskrba s kakovostno pitno vodo, ki je omejevala poselitev in gospodarski razvoj območja. Sodobna oskrba ne zagotavlja zadostne količine pitne vode za gospodinjstva in gospodarstvo le na Krasu, temveč jo v poletnem času oddaja celo na Obalo. Oskrba s pitno vodo temelji na črpanju kraške podtalnice iz vrtin pri Klaričih in na dveh izvirih pod Nanosom. Pri snovanju vodne oskrbe kaže v prihodnosti vključiti številne lokalne vodne vire v povezavi s tradicionalno obliko vodne oskrbe. Pri tem ni izključena morebitna uporaba kapnice za potrebe namakanja vrtov, pranje avtomobilov, za komunalne dejavnosti (pranje ulic) in v kmetijstvu ter ponovna uporaba odpadnih voda za tehnološko vodo v industriji.

In the past the biggest economic problem on the Kras plateau used to be drinking water supply, which has also been one of the reasons for sparsely populated Kras plateau.Today the Water Supply Company provides drinking water to households and industry on the Kras plateau and the quantity is suffi cient to supply the coastal region in the summer months as well. Water supply is founded on effective karst groundwater pumping near Klariči. Some water is captured from karst springs under Nanos Mountain as well.

In water supply planning in future, numerous other local water resources linked to traditional ways of water supply need to be considered. Eventual rainwater usage for garden irrigation or car washing, for communal activity (street washing) or for the needs of farming and purifi ed wastewater usage for industry (as technological water) is not excluded.