Description (EN): “Water is not a commercial product like any other but, rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such” (Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy). Over 70% of the earth's surface is water. However, most of it—98%--is salt water. Only 2% of the earth's H20 is fresh water that we can drink, and of this, almost all is trapped in frozen glaciers. The human body is made up of approximately 80% water, which obviously means that the quantity and quality of the water we drink is of great importance to human health. Water is to the body as petrol is to a car! Many physical issues are actually caused by the dehydration of our bodies which could be prevented by drinking at least 2 to 3 litres of good-quality water daily. Even though Romanian water is purified, it can still contain heavy metals, dust, sand, recycled medicine, excessive hardness, nitrates, chemicals, and the elderly piping system or even newer plastic pipes do nothing to help the situation. Other sources of pollution are often agricultural and industrial, as many pollutants enter the water table through waste being dumped on and or directly into rivers. Besides cleanliness, the natural quality of water is also extremely important. Over the last couple of decades, people have begun to study the idea of water being an energy source, i.e. “Living water,” containing natural crystals which are easily absorbed and resonate with the body’s natural energy. Many studies of tap water have shown that its natural crystal no longer exists due to the “cleaning” treatment it undergoes before being piped round the city. This means that the body may find it difficult to absorb this type of water as the water does not resonate with the body’s energy. As a result, you may have often experienced bloatedness after drinking tapwater. The purpose of every water utility is to provide consumers with drinking water that presents no risk to public health. Safe drinking water is generally obtained by complying with specific water quality standards such as European Union Drinking Water Directive (Council Directive 98/83/EC, 1998). Corrosion can affect public health, public acceptance of a water supply and the cost of providing safe drinking water. The release of corrosion by-products of household plumbing systems can be a significant source of trace metals found in tap waters (Agatenos & Okato, 2008). Pollution with metals may originate mainly from old and poor quality distribution networks and piping systems. When drinking water is distributed through pipelines, biofilms will grow on the inner surface of the pipes and soft deposits (organic and inorganic matter) and several metals will accumulate to the pipelines (Lehtola & al, 2004a). Discoloration of drinking water is one of the main reasons customers complain to their water company. An elevated concentration of iron or increased turbidity, affect taste, odor and color in drinking water. Unlined iron pipes in drinking water distribution networks develop extensive internal corrosion scales as the time of use increases. These corrosion scale deposits reduce the hydraulic capacity of the pipes and more energy is required to deliver water at a desire flow rate (Sarin et al., 2004). materials used in water distribution systems are part of the overall treatment process that affect the water quality which consumers drink at their tap. The interaction between water and the infrastructure used for its supply are fundamental in producing safety drinking water. Subtle reactions between water and different materials used for its transport can affect the finale quality delivered to consumers. A study, developed in the period June 2009 – June 2011, in a project regarding safety of drinking water distribution systems in some municipalities from Romania, demonstrated that materials used in drinking water domestic installations have a major contribution in the deterioration of water quality supplied by local distribution operators. The water resources from Romania are composed of surface waters – inland rivers, natural and reservoirs, Danube river and ground waters. Romania is relatively poor in water resources, disposing of only 1,870 cubic meters water/inhabitant/year, confronted by the average 4,000 cubic meters water/inhabitant/year in Europe. And, several areas have been affected by natural arsenic contamination, other areas being contaminated from anthropogenic sources (nonferrous industry). In Northwestern Transylvania (Bihor and Arad Counties), drinking water contains arsenic as a result of the geochemical characteristics of the land. The population in this region obtain their drinking water from the naturally contaminated sources. The release of arsenic, a potent human carcinogen, from the bedrock into groundwater is a growing public health concern because groundwater is increasingly used as a source of drinking water (Gurzau&Gurzau, 2001). A cross-sectional study to assess the arsenic exposure of human populations via drinking water performed in the Western part of Bihor and Arad Counties in 1995 showed a range of arsenic concentrations from 0 to 176 µg/L, 37.2% of the settlements exceeded 10 µg As/L. An increased prevalence of reported morbidity for cutaneous disorders, peripheral neuropathy and cardiovascular diseases was noticed in the area, but not a relationship between arsenic exposure via drinking water and skin, lung, and kidney cancers (Gurzau&Gurzau, 2001). Known since the early ‘40s, the natural contamination with arsenic of depth water in Bihor and Arad areas continues to incite interest, especially since the rural localities still use depth water as the main source of drinking water. Arsenic concentrations measured in the water sources in the area range between 0-176 μg/L, and it is estimated that over 45,000 people are exposed via drinking water to arsenic concentrations above 10 μg/L.All the 4 partners are committed to develop activities that will increase their institutional capacity, in order to deliver higher qualitative services and to assure a cleaner drinking water. This will be achived by acquisition of 3 modern mobile units that will be able to perform identification of water loss and to analyse the chemical composition of the drinking water, combined with specific training programs in order to increase the capacity of the human resource involved in this process.
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