Method of Risk Analysis and Assessment of Water Supply System Exploitation in Agricultural Areas

The 2011 abolition of obligation to establish water intake protection zones in Poland significantly increased the risk of water supply system exploitation, especially in small, rural areas. In case of water supply systems situated in agricultural zones, crop production and animal husbandry in the vicinity of water intakes may constitute a major threat. This article presents a groundwater quality threat assessment method for agricultural areas. The proposed assessment procedure is based on the universal method of five-parameter matrix that includes the following risk variables: probability of water contamination, exposure of water supply system to agricultural threats, financial effects, number of endangered consumers and threat-protection level of water supply system. For each of water supply arrangements being exploited in a given water supply system a partial risk value with its categorization (tolerated, controlled and unacceptable risk) is determined, followed by definition of a total risk for the water supply system. The paper demonstrates practical applications of the presented research method to risk evaluation in the example of two existing, rural water supply systems located in areas with intensive agricultural activity. The analysis was conducted during a 6-year research period (2010-2015).