All Sofia's household waste water is processed and purified at a single water treatment plant and is then "infused into the Vladia River before it's used by local farmers for watering their produce. Because the harvest ends up in the Sofia market places and on our tables, so we trust our health in this water plant. How well the water is purified depends on both the equipment and the skills of the waste water operators". - Documentary : `Clean Water = Quality of Life; Preparing Bulgaria for a Cleaner Future.'
The Tenth Bulgarian National Association on Water Quality (BNAWQ) Scientific and Practical Conference, entitled `Water Quality Technologies and Management in Bulgaria' was held on 24 & 25 February at NDK. In association with the seventh seminar `Private Participation in Water Supply and Sewerage Services' and sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Water, an active discussion and technical forum was presented to interested parties within Bulgaria and greater Europe. The conference demonstrated a refreshing parliamentary interest in improving Bulgaria's water quality, focussed in particular on water purification and wastewater treatment.
Talk of current legislation before parliament aimed at bringing Bulgarian water man-


agement standards in line with standards required of EU members. Aspects of the current legislation were presented, which includes provisions for social affordability, regulation of water and wastewater treatment prices, registration and conformance of providers, and water treatment for any town of population greater than 3000; positive measures that are an important first step in improving water quality and achieving sustainability. Presentations were made covering latest technologies, pricing and tariffs, and public relations. However, significant challenges ahead were also highlighted: obsolete equipment, a poorly maintained pipe network, and leakages; particularly challenging when working with base of largely uneducated operators.
For the past ten years there has been very little in the way of training programmes for water purification and wastewater treatment operators in Bulgaria. In that time, equipment has been overhauled, discoveries made and new technologies implemented; education is thus crucial when the quality of purified water depends on the equipment and skills of the waste water operators. Implementation of new technologies will only accelerate as Bulgaria opens its doors to Europe, further highlighting the need for operator education and certification. In positive steps, the BNAWQ extended an invitation to Delaware Technical & Community College (DTCC), water and wastewater operator trainers in the USA, to assist in the set up of a training programme within Bulgaria.
The programme's initial period is made possible by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development. The activities of DTCC are focussed on implementing a water operator's training programme, intended to transfer the operational knowledge to Bulgaria by `training-the-trainers'. Carla Stone of the DTCC stresses the need for training, "People need to be trained because the technology changes, the standards are changing, the equipment changes. Training is the best way to achieve sustainability." The trial project's objectives are: to spur adoption of operator training and certification laws and regulations, to develop and implement a public information programme, to create a water and wastewater operators training centre, to build financial and institutional sustainability of the training centre, and to develop and conduct training courses.
Training also has obvious financial benefits - Water plants will be better managed businesses, well trained and career focussed staff will better care for the equipment, the equipment therefore suffers less downtime and has longer longevity, and non-compliance and resulting fines are saved. Whilst the current round of legislation is aimed at regulating the water sector operators, the president of BNAWQ, Dr Atanas Paskalev, is encouraging training programmes also be legislated. There are many steps in guaranteeing water quality, including broader education of the public, but there are many steps ahead and other priorities must be addressed first in the slow legislative process. He perceives that there is "not so much understanding on behalf of the government about how important water quality is". However, Dr Paskalev is heartened by the current level of activity, which indicates a growing recognition of the problem, mentioning "Mr Dimitrov would like BNAWQ to prepare a specific specialised conference for water quality for Bulgaria."
In the meanwhile, there is growing awareness within the water sector about steps to bring Bulgaria's water quality in line with EU regulations, Carla Stone reflecting positively "Tremendous awareness exists, it's just a question of where do we start, what can we do to help?" Water systems transcend national boundaries and solutions must be international, a fact made poignant by Bulgaria's location on the Danube and Black Sea. While the conference seemingly overlooked total environmental health of regional water systems, water purification and wastewater treatment represent the most important first steps in securing the health of Bulgaria's population and maintaining the vitality of Bulgaria's waterways.