Water Resources of Georgia and Their Ecological Condition

Abstract

Water resources are one of the most important natural resources of Georgia. There
are 26060 rivers with total length 58987 km. A base of hydrographic network are small
rivers with length less than 25km and total length 50480 km.Georgia’s territory is divided
in two main regions: Black Sea basin and Caspian Sea basin. Total natural river runoff
from the territory of Georgia is 56.4km3 and to the territory (from Armenia and Turkey)
- 8.74 km3. Thus, total water supplies amount for 65.4 km3. Rioni River is Imereti’s
main artery of water. It is a left tributary of the largest river Imereti hills - Kvirila, which is
connected with Dzirula Chherimeloy, and the right side connects with the waters of the
Rioni Tskhenistskali. Rioni water is used in production, and communal services of the
population. On both sides of the Rioni are large industrial facilities that degrade water
quality. The problem of water resources protection in Imereti and rational use of it, on
the one hand, has created increasing demand for water by industry, and, on the other
side, of reservoirs pollution. Water pollution in the Rioni begins with the origins. From
traditional polluting facilities should be noted Kvaisskoe, Tutiyskoe businesses, a lot of
Oni and Ambrolauri businesses that poured on the raw water in the Rioni. And the most
polluted river in the territory of Kutaisi.