Evaluation of the Quality of Local Groundwater and Surface Water from the Western Part of Bulgaria

Water scarcity problems are increasing in Europe and globally, and are accompanied by an increasing risk of drought as a result of climate change. About 80% of Europe‘s fresh water consumption (for drinking and other purposes) is provided by water intake from rivers and groundwater, making these sources extremely vulnerable to threats from overexploitation, pollution and climate change. Groundwater is widely used throughout the world as the primary source for domestic drinking water supplies. For this reason, contaminated groundwater certainly increases the risk to public health. Several studies have shown that microbial pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and enteroviruses are relatively stable in groundwater. Control of pathogen contamination in groundwater in small settlements is not regular.