site.btaWater Used by Economy in 2013 Fell to Its Lowest Level since 2000

Water Used by Economy in 2013 Fell to Its Lowest Level since 2000

Sofia, December 22 (BTA) - An estimated 5,468 million cubic
metres of fresh water were abstracted for the economy in 2013,
which is the lowest level since 2000, the National Statistical
Institute (NSI) reported in a press release.

In 2013, demand for irrigation water increased by about 3 per
cent from 2012, mainly due to an increase in the area under
water-consuming crops. The services sector also registered a
growth of the water used. Despite fluctuations, the structure of
water use remained relatively stable: 71 per cent of the total
4,477 million cu m of water used was for cooling in energy
production, about 15 per cent for other industrial activities, 6
per cent for irrigation, and 7.6 per cent for the household
sector.

The 261 million cu m of drinking water supplied to households in
2013 was about 4 per cent less than in 2012. The average per
capita consumption decreased from 102 litres/day in 2012 to 99
litres/day in 2013. Households in Southern Bulgaria consumed an
average 105 l/day/per capita in 2013, while those in Northern
Bulgaria it used 16 litres less. Rural households consumed 94
l/day/per capita, and urban households 7 litres more.

The total volume of wastewater discharged into water bodies in
2013 is estimated at 802 million cu m (excluding cooling water),
of which 71 per cent after treatment at urban and other
treatment plants. Ninety urban wastewater treatment plants
operated in 2013, servicing 56.4 per cent of the population.
Eighteen per cent of the total population was connected to
public sewerage but without any treatment plant.

An estimated 3,135,000 tonnes of municipal waste was generated
in 2013. During the same year, 1,860,000 tonnes of municipal
waste were landfilled. Waste directly transmitted for recycling
in 2013 was 271,000 tonnes. Waste transmitted to facilities for
secondary treatment amounted to 1,005,000 tonnes. The
construction waste collected in municipal landfills totalled
999,000 tonnes in 2013.

The municipal waste systems in 2013 numbered 144, of which 30
were regional.
Organized waste collection systems reached 99.5 per cent of the
total population in 4,571 settlements. The per capital quantity
of municipal waste collected in these settlements for 2013 is
estimated at 434 kg.