Water quality related damage prevention means when an immediate technical intervention is needed to stop an event that endangers or damages the environment. Quick and timely action can prevent costly remediation works.
The structure of water damage prevention in Hungary has been formed to be able to take rapid steps when any environmental damage occurs in order to ensure that lengthy and prolonged remediation procedures do not have to be carried out later. In case the polluter cannot take remedial measures, the competent environmental, nature conservation and water authorities entrust those state trustees (Water Directorates, National Parks), who are able to carry out remedial action. In the prevention of environmental damages, the prevention, remediation and restoration interdepend on each other, but the main goal is the prevention.
In the prevention works, the environment and water protection authorities have a key role, whose tasks are issuing permits, keeping official records, doing/performing monitoring activities and detecting illegal acts. The dikes and river bed watch service of Water Directorates and nature protection watch service of Directorates of National Parks.
In the Hungarian legal system, the Government Decree 90/2007 (IV.26.) on prevention and remediation of environmental damage may enforce the prevention and remediation measures and name the competent organisations that are obliged to act in the prevention. They may oblige the polluter to clean-up or to take remedial measures, to bear the costs of remediation, to reduce emissions and to comply with the "polluter pays principle".
Lately, the Water Directorates and the Authorities could experience the following forms of pollution:
pollution due to sewage inlet,
hydro-carbon pollution reaching surface waters,
perishing of living creatures,
oxygen-depleting conditions affecting waters,
excessive vegetation, i.e. vegetation covering a significant part of the water surface, or
damages caused by illegally disposed waste
Damage from chemicals and pesticide contamination also occurs.
In cases where remedial action is no longer sufficient or cannot be carried out in time, a site has to be remediated. The General Directorate of Water Management coordinates and supervises the implementation of the remediation activities under the Water Sub-programme of the National Environmental Remediation Programme. In the frame of this program, the result of the operation of various industrial structures (e.g. electroplating plant, laundry, fuel well, waste disposal, etc.) and were assigned to the Ministry of Energy and the Water Sector following their transfer to the State's responsibility in the governmental division of labour. They are financed through targeted budget support or EU funding (currently “KEHOP”).