Groundwater protection, water status assessment

Protection of natural water bodies is a complex of activities consisting of the protection of water quantity and quality, in accordance with the requirements of Czech and European law, especially the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC and the Water Act No. 254/2001 Coll. The state of quantity and quality of natural waters is one of the main indicators of the quality of the whole environment. The main tasks addressed are the protection of water sources against chemical and biological pollution (qualitative protection), and protection against excessive abstraction, which decreases groundwater levels and flows in watercourses (quantitative protection). It is best to protect water preventively (general water protection, territorial water protection, water monitoring); however, sometimes it is necessary to solve the problem of the existing deteriorating water status (reparative protection). In such a case, the extent of the water threat must be determined by a survey, the causes and imminent impacts must be determined, and remedial action or other measures to improve the water status must be ensured.