ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION OF POLLUTIONS DUE TO AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN DRINKING WATER BASINS

Water supplies have been polluted by moving waters with surface flowing and wind pesticide granules as a result of spraying against pest and diseases or discharging factory wastes to stagnant waters or rivers. Also, unawares and overusage of chemical fertilisers in agricultural activities have in the course of time made aridity and made negative effects both with water pollution and other effects. It has to be evaluated relating to measures about preventing agricultural pollution at this scope. At this context, the negative effects of agricultural activities in water basin areas can be minimised. For example, it may be thought that there can be a transition from traditional agricultural production to alternative agricultural methods (good agricultural practices, organic agriculture) agricultural workings in water basin areas. Also, irrigated agricultural activities have been performed in the basins. Fertilisers wastes and pesticide residues which constitute nutrition in lake dam can cause serious problems, because turning waters from irrigation reach natural water supplies in the basin. Especially, for the pollution of ground waters, nitrate is seen as the most common ground water polluter. Required legal arrangements have been done at protecting the drinking water basin areas in Turkey. 'Regulation of the Protecting of Waters Against Pollution by Nitrates from Agricultural Sources' had been legislated in this respect in 2004. But, it is necessary to do more effective works considering the current conditions. For these reasons, the main goals of the study are first to analyse the present literature and then to fix contamination and problems in the basins due to agricultural activities, and to look for preventions against contamination of drinking water. Also, it is thought that findings which will be introduced with research will be useful for institutions in this sector, decision-makers related to sector, people related to this subject and people who live in the basin area.