Croatia ranks fifth in Europe and 42nd in the world in terms of renewable water sources, Croatian Waters said on Wednesday, adding that the population in many parts of Croatia can still drink tap water, which shows that the quality of water in the water-supply system is mainly good. The safest water is drunk by sections of the population connected to large public systems due to stricter water control regimes.
Unlike water supply, the waste water situation in unsatisfactory so a number of local communities on the coast are faced with sea and underground water pollution, including major seaports like Rijeka, Zadar and Sibenik. Only 40% of households and 40% of the industry sector are connected to sewerage systems and less than 12% of all waste water is purified.
The deteriorating quality of sea water in some parts of Croatia has already resulted in visible problems such as eutrofication and phytoplankton.
A Croatian citizen uses 150 litres of water per day on average, whereas a Gambian citizen must make do with 4.5 litres.
Croatia is currently in the group of relatively water-rich countries where water-related issues are still not pronounced and water resources are not a development limiting factor. Croatia is rich in both surface and underground waters.
Seventy-six percent or about 3.35 million of Croatia's population receive water from public supply systems.