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The total surface water resources of Latvia are estimated at approximately 33-35 billion m3 per year. The total natural resources of groundwater in Latvia are valued at approximately 13 million m3 per 24 hours. The potential fresh groundwater resources which can be withdraw by a hypothetical system of evenly distributed water abstraction wells in a certain period of time are estimated at approximately 5 million m3 per 24 hours.
The calculated water resources indicate that the country's requirements for drinking water are met well from groundwater sources. The total tapped groundwater resources can supply 1,5 million m3 per 24 hours. The resources were calculated for all larger cities and administrative centres in Latvia (except Limbazi) in hydrogeological investigations.
Water Supply Sources
In Latvia, both the surface and groundwater is used in nearly similar amounts. In 1997, the water supply systems received 195.8 million m3 of surface water and 167 million m3 of groundwater. Since 1991, water consumption has been decreasing continuously, due to the industrial crisis and economic restructuring.
Groundwater is widely used also for water supply in individual farms and small settlements throughout Latvia. Surface water is partly used for centralised water supply only in four Latvian cities (Riga, Daugavpils, Olaine, and Ventspils). However, hydrogeological investigations in all these cities show that the requirements for water supply can be met almost completely from groundwater sources.
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Quality of Drinking Water in Centralised Water Supply Systems
National Environmental Health Centre data from monitoring of drinking water in public water supply networks estimated the proportion of samples not complying with chemical standards in 1996 and 1997 to be 34.7 % and 37.6 % respectively, mostly due to a high iron content. The bacteriological parameters were not compliant with the respective standards in 10.3 % of cases in 1996 and in 10.9 % of cases in 1997, mostly due to excessive Coli counts.
Household Water Supply and Water Quality in Wells
Groundwater is widely used for water supply in individual farms and small settlements throughout Latvia. For this purpose, mainly wells and less often also bore-holes are used. This type of water abstraction is not registered, making it difficult to estimate the total amounts of water used. The reasons for the non-compliance of water with chemical standards were mostly high content of iron and organoleptic qualities (colour, turbidity, taste, odour).
Source: Latvian National Environment Health Centre
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