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
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.
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