WATER QUALITY - A KEY ISSUE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY IN TIRANA

摘要

Albania is a small mountainous country and the total land area covers 28 748 km~2, meanwhile it has a rich hydrographic net (groundwater, streams, rivers, springs, lakes, wetlands). This net includes over 200 big natural resources of groundwater. Natural water qualities of our country generally are good, not only for groundwater but also for surface waters as: rivers, lakes or open reservoirs. However, there are many problems concerning drinking water supply in Albania and especially in the capital city, Tirana. The population of Tirana during the last 15 years is growing up every year and taking into account the so-called 'semi-urban' areas it is approximately 1 million. The drinking water supply in Tirana includes some sources such as groundwater, wells, and reservoir of Bovilla. All these water sources are different regarding physical and chemical characteristics, as well as microbiological ones. Another problem is safety and sanitation of drinking water distribution in network infrastructure. The network is very old and damaged (old pipes, old hydraulic and mechanical performance). Pollution water indicators are monitored aiming to support water authorities to achieve optimal operation of the available network and for the development of remote control and monitoring. The data on the operational status of network required not only to manage the water supply service but also to meet requirements set by consumers and the state.