Experimental statistics: Water accounts, 2019
Almost three quarters of water used in 2019 came from surface water sources
In 2019, 122 million m3 of water was intended for distribution, and almost 88 billion m3 for own use in economic activities, of which 751 million m3 or slightly less than 1% for cooling.
Selected data on water accounts are published experimentally
For the 2017–2019 period, SURS compiled data on water accounts, which present water flows between the environment and economic activities and within economic activities on the side of water supply and use, as well as data on the availability of water resources for the same period. Some of the data are published experimentally for the first time.
Most of the water used comes from surface sources
In 2019, around 118 billion m3 of water was used from the available water sources from the environment, or 7% more than in 2017, when almost 111 billion m3 of water was used. Most of this water was used from inland water sources. In terms of water source, the largest share was represented by surface sources (74% in 2019 or almost 4 percentage points more than in 2017), followed by the estimated share of water abstracted from the soil by plants (26% in 2019 or almost 4 percentage points less than in 2017). The remaining available amount of water was abstracted from underground sources (0.2% in 2019 or the same as in 2017) and from other water sources (0.1% in 2019 or the same as in 2017).
88 billion m3 of the abstracted water intended for own use in economic activities
In 2019, 122 million m3 of water was intended for distribution from the public water supply system (comparable with 2017), and almost 88 billion m3 for own use in economic activities, of which slightly less than one billion m3 for cooling. In 2019, 12% more water was intended for own use than in 2017, and 2% more water for cooling.
Most of the water used to supply electricity
Of the amount of water that was used from surface and underground sources (around 88 billion m3 in 2019), the majority (99.8%) was used to drive turbines in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (NACE D). Of this, 727 million m3 or slightly less than 1% was used for cooling in this economic activity. An additional 24 million m3 of water was used for cooling in mining and quarrying (NACE B), manufacturing (NACE C) and construction (NACE F).
In 2019, the change in water stocks amounted to around billion m3
The table on the availability of water resources shows the hydrological water balance, or the system of inland water sources, i.e. inflows, outflows and changes in water stocks due to economic activities (abstractions and returns of water) and natural processes. In 2019, the total amount of water returned to the water sources system (increase in stocks) reached slightly less than 47 billion m3, or 4% more than in 2017 (around 45 billion m3). The total amount of water abstractions (decrease in stocks) was less than the amount of water returned, it was slightly less than 46 billion m3, so the change in water stocks was positive at around billion m3 of water. Due to the greater difference between returns and abstractions of water, the change in water stocks in 2017 was greater than in 2019, amounting to around 2.7 billion m3.
Water used by sources of water, Slovenia
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Availability of water resources, Slovenia
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Data on water accounts, which represent one of the physical modules of environmental accounts, are published as experimental, because the methodology at the national level is still under development. The main data sources used are statistical surveys on water statistics (VOD-N, VOD-V, VOD-K and VOD-UVI), and for selected data content additional administrative sources (ARSO, DRSV and BF). Some aggregated values are based on pragmatic assumptions and are prepared as first expert estimates.
The data release discusses data on water flows between the environment and the economy and within the economy, divided into water supply and water use. Data on water flows are divided by activities of the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE), and in addition to those mentioned, this data release also shows the availability of water resources - the amount of water flows within the environment and the change in their stocks during the calendar year (increase and decrease in stocks).
Methodology of statistics prepared as experimental first estimates will continue to be upgraded, so caution is advised for their use and data interpretation.
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