Water and Public Health: Legislation as a Tool for Improving Living Standards

Limited capacity for renewal of ground and surface water and increasing demands from agriculture, industry and domestic users affect the quantity and quality of water resources. The links between the provision of clean water, sanitation and good health are so strong that protection and management of water becomes an indirect primary health protection issue. To prevent and overcome the variety of water-related health risks, implementation of various activities that include general environmental protection, development of water management systems, permanent water quality monitoring and control, and improvement of standards and legislature, are needed. Croatia has a long history of legislation that controls the quality of water. Both drinking water and surface waters are constantly monitored according to the existing laws and regulations. The legislation and implementation of various mechanisms of water protection as a tool for health protection are described.