Rural Water Supplies in Galicia

A large part of the water catchments in Galicia do not comply with the sanitary standards of supply water due to bacteriological contamination and concentrations of nitrates and some metals which in some cases exceed the admissible limits. This situation is due to shortcomings in: (1) infrastructure; (2) system maintenance; and (3) territorial planning to take into account the protection of water catchments. This situation poses a public health problem that needs to be addressed. Who is responsible and how should this problem be tackled is here analyzed. The administration has the responsibility to provide all residents with a water supply suitable for human consumption and should find ways to improve the small autonomous rural supply systems groundwater quality. This includes to raise awareness among the population about the need to obtain and preserve water that meets the quality standards so that the owners of the systems are the ones who are concerned about and work together with the administration. Hydrological planning and groundwater protection measures should be established in a coordinated manner between the different administrations, the productive sectors involved and neighbors and with a multidisciplinary point of view that integrates environmental, hydrogeological, economic and social aspects.