Thermal water resources in Hungary, their utilisation and protection

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT WITH THERMAL WATERS

It follows from the above mentioned that the authorities may not license the production and/or utilisation of thermal waters without any restraint especially if abstraction is carried out without reinjection, and precaution is required even when reinjection is required. (According to the government order on environmental impact assessments entering in 2001 into force, each injection requires environmental impact assessment).

Where considerable load on water resources is indicated by directly measured pressure-decrease and calculations are displaying the same phenomenon, licensing of further abstraction should be allowed in a limited way even for balneological or domestic use.

Evidently any further use of thermal water resources should be evaluated only together with the other abstractions that are representing a larger load (drinking water, irrigation water). With this purpose the impacts of the intakes from subsurface waters are being studied with computer models.

Licenses to further abstractions may be granted only where forecasts based on modelling do not indicate adverse environmental impacts even on a longer time-scale.

One may put the question if is the production of water with geothermal purpose allowable without reinjection from strongly confined aquifers where there are no hydraulic links with the surface- and subsurface drinking waters?

The question arises especially when the thermal water can not be utilised for balneological purposes because of its composition.

The possibility in principle exists even in such cases, however in practice this is extremely limited by the rapid emptying of the aquifer and the problem of disposal of the cooled thermal waters, therefore the reinjection of thermal water arises again.

These all do not mean that thermal water utilisations of energetic purpose should be obliged immediately to accomplish the reinjection, however after a transition time this should be the objective to be implemented.

The environment-friendly and sparing use of subsurface waters and the efficient utilisation of the energy content of thermal waters is supported also by economic regulations. They are as follows:

• The exploration and production of thermal waters is falling under the power of the Law on Water Management and may be implemented only according to a water licence (Act LVII of 1995 and the Government Decree No. 72/1996. (V.22.) Korm.). According to the regulations the Water Authority is the proceeding authority, the Environmental Inspectorate is the special authority in each case. The users of abstractions are obliged to pay a water resource charge. According to the Act CXXXIII on the 2000 and 2001 year Budget of the Republic of Hungary its value is 1,80 Ft/m ³ in 2001 and 1,90 Ft/m ³ in 2002 as basic charge. The sum to be paid should be calculated on the basis of the actually used quantity of water, using index numbers depending on the way of determining the quantity of utilised water, on the character of utilisation and of the water resources and the water management situation of the particular region. The index numbers are prescribed by the Decree No. 43/1999 (XII. 26) of MTCWM on the calculation of water resource charge. The value of water resource charge strongly depends on the way of utilisation. When thermal waters are utilised in balneology only the basic charge should be paid, but in the case of other types of utilisation the multiple thereof should be paid. The index number depending on the character of utilisation and of the water source is contained by Table 4. According to the regulations the user is not obliged to pay water resource charge for the water reinjected into the
• aquifer in accordance with the water permit without endangering the subsurface waters.
• If thermal water is utilised with the purpose of energy production, the production of energy is covered by the Act XLVIII of 1993 on Mining Industry and by the Government Decree No. 203/1998. (XII.19.) Korm. on its implementation. According to Section 20 of the Act that who produces geothermal energy with the purpose of energetical utilisation is obliged to pay a royalty. Its value is the 2 % of the value of the geothermal energy produced. To promote the efficiency of utilisation in energetics, no royalty should be paid for the volume of energy exceeding the produced energy by 50 %. According to Section 10 of the decree no royalty should be paid if geothermal energy is being used for medicinal, balneological and drinking water purposes in accordance with a water permit even in the case when the thermal water is being used for energy production in a second stage.

Beyond the above mentioned, also the environmental and water management regulations are authoritative. The Government Decree No. 33/2000. (III. 17.) Korm. on certain tasks in connection with the activities influencing the quality of subsurface waters prohibits the direct disposal of hazardous substances in subsurface waters, except the reinjection of used thermal waters into their aquifer or into an aquifer utilised for the same purpose if specific investigation proves that the reinjected water does not cause any pollution. The decree assures the possibility of thermal water reinjection this way, in accordance with the relevant EU directives.

The Governmental Decree No. 20/2001(II. 14) on the environmental impact assessments lists among the activities requiring EIA:

• the thermal water abstraction larger than 2000 m ³ /d from porous aquifers,
• the thermal water abstraction larger than 1000 m ³ /d from karstic aquifers,
• the injection of water into subsurface waters,
• the construction of geothermal power plant.

An important aspect of sustainable thermal water management is the protection of the explored thermal water resources or those being utilised, especially the protection of the natural thermal springs and the qualified medicinal waters. The Government Decree No 123/1997. (VII.18.) Korm. on the protection of the actual and perspective sources and the engineering facilities of drinking water supply extends the obligation of establishing the protective blocks, protection zones and of ensuring the safety of drinking water sources over the sources serving the utilisation of mineral waters and medicinal waters. Unfortunately the system of protective blocks and protection zones ensuring the quantity- and quality protection, furthermore the local monitoring network observing the state of the thermal water intakes and of their surroundings are lacking at the most sites.

Also the survey of 1996 pointed out that there are many deficiencies in the field of the operational measurements: even the possibilities of measurements are lacking in many sites. Systematic measurements are representing a prerequisite of proper operation, simultaneously giving information for further sustainable thermal water management under which neither the thermal water uses nor the elements of the environment are damaged.

In the interest of the protection of the quantity and quality of subsurface waters and of the maintenance of the good state of thermal wells it is necessary to meet the provisions of the Ordinance No. 2/1971. (V.18.) OVH on the obligatory periodic instrumental revision and maintenance of thermal wells and those of the Order No. 8/1970. (V.É.6.) OVH on the operational instructions of thermal wells.

Table 4

Value of the index-numbers modifying the basic water resource charge

[Governmental Decree No. 43/1999. (XII.26) Korm.]

The basic charge in 2001: 1,80 Ft/m ³ , in 2002: 1,90 Ft/m ³

Interpretation of the expressions in the table:

Medicinal water:
Water of proved medicinal effect being in accordance with specified legal regulations (Order of the Minister of Public Health No. 74/1999. XII.25.)) and licensed by the National Health Resorts and Medicinal Baths Directorate.

Thermal water:
Any subsurface water of the temperature above 30 ^o C on the ground surface at the maximum licensed flow.

Water use of medicinal purpose:
Utilisation of waters directly in medical treatment.

Water use of public purpose:
The drinking- and domestic water supply of the population, drinking- and communal water supply of public institutions, bottling of mineral waters not qualified as medicinal waters, the total water supply of non-medicinal baths, the water supply of medicinal baths (not with medicinal water), the supplementary water supply for the purpose of environmental hygiene and the supplementary water supply from surface waters as prescribed in the water permit.

Water use of economic purpose:
The total water use connected with the industrial, commercial, and other economic services, the social water demand of the employees included.