World Water Day
March 22 is the day dedicated to water - a natural resource, without which there would be no life.
Water is essential for life, but unfortunately access to drinking water is not provided to all people. Management of its stocks must be sustainable, so we should already today do everything in our power to ensure that water remains as it should be: a clean natural resource available to us all.
In 1993 the United Nations General Assembly designated March 22 as the World Water Day. Each year, at least on this day, we realize how important water is for life, how access to drinking water is not provided to all people and how important it is to manage its stocks sustainably.
Water and Jobs
This year the central theme of the World Water Day is Water and jobs. The United Nations this time in cooperation with the International Labour Organisation points to the importance of drinking water and at the same time emphasizes its importance in creating opportunities for new jobs. It highlights in particular the role and importance of those workers who through their work take care of the quality and supply of drinking water to end-users.
According to the United Nations around 1.5 billion people in the world are employed in the activities related to water. In 2014 there were 9,359 persons in employment in Slovenia in water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (section of activity E according to NACE Rev. 2). 4,265 of them took care of the collection, treatment and distribution of water and of sewerage and were as such most closely related to the supply and security of drinking water.
What did we use the water abstracted in 2014 for?
Infographic 1: Statistical water balance of Slovenia, 2014
Source: SURS
In 2014, 980 million m3 of water was abstracted in Slovenia. Most of this water (817 million m3) was abstracted from own intakes (mostly from surface waters). This water was used in industry (for production processes in mining, manufacturing, electricity, gas and steam and air conditioning supply, water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities – sections of activities B, C, D, and E according to NACE Rev. 2) and for irrigation in agriculture (section of activities A according to NACE Rev. 2).
In 2014, 163 million m3 of water, which was abstracted for the public water supply system in Slovenia, ran through 24,017 kilometres of pipes and 458,305 water connections to the end-users (households, kindergartens, schools and other activities). Along the way slightly less than 46 million m3 of water was lost, mainly due to the damaged water supply system. At the end 117 million m3 of water was supplied, of which more than two thirds to households.
Water that was not consumed by industry, households, public institutions, agriculture and other activities was discharged back into the environment. Before discharge 810 million m3 of waste water was treated, while 80 million m3 of waste water was discharged untreated. In addition, 94 million m3 of rainwater was discharged into the environment.
Slovenia is a water-rich country. However, this does not mean that good-quality drinking water will always be available. Therefore, we should already today do everything in our power to ensure that it remains as it should be: a clean natural resource available to us all.
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