Water management in Prague

The City of Prague is located in a widened section of a valley of the largest Bohemian river the Vltava River, which makes the City axis. In the Prague’s section of its stream the Vltava River receives only one larger tributary – the Berounka River yet, moreover, a number of smaller water courses make tributaries to the river here. Waters on the territory of Prague consist furthermore of numerous lakes and ponds, and other types of reservoirs having varied functions.
Quality of surface water on the territory of Prague has been under long-term, regular monitoring (at four hydrometric profiles at the Vltava River and the Berounka River, making parts of the nation-wide network, and further at profiles of selected Prague’s creeks).
The public water distribution system in Prague and its water treatment plants are administered by the joint stock company of Pražská vodohospodářská společnost; at present principle sources of drinking water are the Drinking Water Treatment Plant Želivka, the Drinking Water Treatment Plant Káraný, and the Drinking Water Treatment Plant Podolí, as a spare source. The production and consumption of drinking water have been decreasing since 1990 (more about the quality of drinking water in Prague).
The downtown sewerage system in Prague was built as an integrated sewerage system, the housing estates constructed at the Prague’s outskirts later has their separate sewerage systems for rainwater and sewage. Waste water is taken mostly to the Central Waste Water Treatment Plant in Prague Troja (CWWTP), further auxiliary local waste water treatment plants are either under operation or construction. At present the CWWTP does not comply with legal requirements and its vast reconstruction and capacity expansion has been under preparation (more about wastewater management).
Priority tasks in the field of water management in Prague are to complete flood control measures and to complete the capacity expansion of the Central Waste Water Treatment Plant, including the disposal of sludge and completion of the reconstruction of drinking water distribution system and the sewerage system; the main problems that still remain to be addressed are the persisting pollution of surface water and groundwater and deterioration of run-off conditions of the City due to the reduction of undeveloped and unpaved areas.
The fundamental conceptual document of the City of Prague in the field of water management is the General Drainage Plan of the City of Prague.