On behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, AquaBiota produced supporting documents to be used for guidance regarding freshwater extraction (surface and ground water). Water extraction refers to the amount of water being pumped from lakes, rivers, coastal waters or groundwater reservoirs to be used in public or private applications.
Swedish water management aims at ensuring a good balance between water extraction and the availability of surface water and groundwater. Another objective is to prevent and limit human contamination and to prevent adverse effects on plants and animals in associated aquatic ecosystems and groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems, in accordance with the Swedish environmental objective of Flourishing Lakes and Streams. The extraction of water from surface and groundwater is regulated by the Environmental Code and is subject to special permission.
The assignment in the project was to describe different techniques that are common in connection with different types of water outlets (groundwater and surface water) as well as describe their respective impact on the environment.
Examples of Techniques:
- Snowmaking
- Irrigation
- Industrial / process
- Drinking water
- Heating / cooling water
- Construction / infrastructure
Examples of Impacts:
- Impact on water flows caused by water extraction and reduced impact on the aquatic environment because of a reduction in water flow
- Physical and chemical impact on the aquatic environment, e.g. as a result of the actual water withdrawal, as well as impact on bottom fauna and fish etc.
- Impact on the land and water environment for water outlet devices
- Impact on the environment in the form of noise, emissions of sedimentation water