Water Management

in the Great Masurian Lakes Region

Jacek Jezierski

Special Advisor to the President of NIK

Supreme Audit Office of Poland (NIK)

EUROSAI WGEA Spring Session on Water Quality and Management

Ljubljana, 26 April 2017

Main audit objectives

1. Do public authorities provide free access to public lakes in an

effective and legal manner?

2. How does the implemented wastewater management protect

water quality of the Great Masurian Lakes?

Audited entities

Local government entities:

Marshall Office

District Authorities

Municipality Offices

State administration:

Regional Water

Management Authorities

Province Environmental

Protection Inspectorate

District Construction

Supervision Inspectorates

Sewage system coverage in municipalities of the

Great Masurian Lakes Region

Fact analysis Since 2004 over PLN 200 million (EUR 45 million) was spent

to construct the sewage system in audited municipalities

Fact analysis cont. Everyone wants to have access to water.

Surveyor inspection

Analysis of statements and reports

The sample to be examined was selected with regard to the location

of the properties (registers of holding tanks and household

wastewater treatment facilities were analysed).

The volume of provided water and collected wastewater was

compared (data included in statements and reports prepared by

entities performing such services).

The municipal sewage system was analysed to check whether

all properties were covered.

Monitoring records of communal wastewater treatment plants

were examined.

Execution of the local law (regulations for maintaining order and

cleanliness) and the municipal environmental protection policy

was examined.

Main findings

State activities aimed at providing common access to

state lakes are not effective.

Preventing access to state waters and illegal use of

state land was common.

The wastewater management in force does not

ensure adequate protection of water quality in the

region.

Main reasons of the current situation

The legal status of many state lakes has not been regulated.

Water constructions built on state properties were not

catalogued.

Disposal of waste from holding tanks and household

wastewater treatment facilities was not supervised in a reliable

and effective manner.

Municipal authorities did not execute the obligation to cover

properties with the sewage system.

Main post-audit conclusions and

recommendations

The Minister of Environment should act in order to amend the

regulations in force.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Construction should strengthen HR

and organisation of construction supervision authorities, in order to

eliminate state land use violations.

Governors of municipalities and mayors should prepare municipal

environmental protection programmes, in justified cases order owners

of properties to cover it with sewage system, as well as audit how

frequently are holding tanks emptied and how often is wastewater

sludge removed from household wastewater treatment facilities.

Thank you for your attention