Goal 6 - Clean water and sanitation

A surface water body (SWB) is a discrete and significant element of surface waters such as a lake, reservoir, stream, river or canal, a section of a stream, river or canal, transitional waters, coastal water bodies, as well as dam reservoirs.

Dam reservoirs are formed by the impoundment of river water; therefore, after the completion of their intended functions, efforts should be made to restore their natural state, which is a river. Moreover, they are not entirely artificial reservoirs, unlike, for example, excavations. Consequently, dam reservoirs are classified as heavily modified river surface water bodies.

The status of river and lake surface water bodies is assessed as good or poor by analysing the results of classification of their ecological status or ecological potential (based on the results of measurements of water quality indicators comprising physicochemical, biological and hydromorphological elements). Ecological status is determined for natural surface water bodies, whereas ecological potential is determined for waters that are artificial or heavily modified due to human activity.

Information on the status of surface waters (rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters) is obtained within the framework of water quality monitoring, which is a subsystem of the State Environmental Monitoring system. Water quality monitoring is carried out by the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection on the basis of designated surface water bodies, which constitute the basic water management unit.