Groundwater Pollution in the South Caucasus

The South Caucasus countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia possess considerable groundwater resources that are crucial for meeting the needs of the countries in the economic and social areas. Owing to their good quality the groundwaters are used for drinking water supply. In the mid-term perspective, the use of groundwaters in agriculture and power generation will be increased. But the excessive loads on water aquifers may bring about the depletion of their reserves and incur hazards to the ecosystems. Moreover, the pollution of groundwaters with industrial and municipal wastewaters may deteriorate the quality of these waters. Among the main sources of their pollution are agriculture, petroleum industry, and uncontrolled disposal of wastes. The lack of extensive regular monitoring of the water quality and quantity and also of the bacteriological composition of groundwaters do not allow for assessment of their condition.