Vízügyi Közlemények, 2004 (86. évfolyam)

3-4. füzet - Gayer József: A települési csapadékvíz-elhelyezés aktuális problémáiról

450 Gayer József Rising prices of drinking water and the increased water use rates of households of higher comfort level had resulted in the more developed countries in the rising awareness of the importance of the use of precipitation waters. In Hungary roof-runoff water collection and use systems of individual homes have been constructed mainly in the karstic areas. The utilisation of precipitation waters helps to decrease drinking water consumption rates but such systems also act as retention and runoff-decreasing facilities, thus reducing the danger of inundation within the settlements. The size of urban areas is increasing in Hungary proportionally to the rising life-quality levels. Rising comfort levels result in the changing properties of the drainage areas. The local governments frequently do not have appropriate means for handling complex runoff control problems. However, the compliance with the respective EU requirements means a high burden on the urban communities. The enormous sewer-and-sewage treatment program, an obligatory task of the present and medium term future, would offer excellent opportunities for the implementation of a sustainable precipitation water management programme. The need for research in this professional area and the need for the utilisation of the respective research results shall be urgently recognised as it would (could) have long term economic and environmental benefits at the present rate of sewerage development. The financial needs for research & development are negligible ones in comparison to the enormous investment expenditures. Appropriate consideration of various development alternatives could, when applied in the design of the systems, result in substantial savings and contribute to the implementation of nearly-sustainable solutions. The benefits of the latter cannot always be measured in monetary terms but the protection of the environment and the rehabilitation at the environmental elements are also of public interest.