A digital terrain model of the Strzelin granite quarry was created from ISOK project data obtained from airborne laser scanning (ALS). Based on 2009, 2012, and 2014 data, the volume of water in the Strzelin quarry's two excavations were determined. Additionally, the predicted volume of retained water after mining ceases was calculated, assuming a water level of 150.0 m a.s.l. In 2014, the two reservoirs retained, respectively, ≈ 0.14 and 0.01 million m 3 of water. If the two pits are eventually connected, ≈ 6.6 million m 3 of water could be retained. Including the 2014 water volume as a small-scale retention basin would increase the volume of retained water in the Ślęza catchment and Strzelin County by 19.0%, and 34.2%, respectively. The hypothetical reservoir created after mining ends would increase small-scale (reservoir and pond) retention ≈ 8 times in the Ślęza catchment and ≈ 15 times in the County, constituting a significant improvement.

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the pace of filling one of the deepest European granite quarries with water. A DTM (digital terrain model) based on data from LiDAR ALS (light detection and ranging airborne laser scanning) was used to create a model of the pit of the Strzelin I granite quarry and to determine the reach and surface area of the direct catchment of the excavation pit. The increase in the volume of water in the excavation pit was determined. Analogue maps and DTM were used to calculate the maximum depth of the pit (113.3 m), its surface area (9.71 ha), and its capacity (5.1 million m3). The volume of water collected in the excavation pit during the years 2011–2018 was determined based on the analogue base map and the DTM. The result was 0.335 million m3. Based on the data made available by the mining company, the correlation of the DTM with the orthophotomap of the mining area and additional field measurements, the ordinates of the water level in the years 2011–2018 were determined. Initially, the water surface level in the quarry was located on the ordinate of 66.6 m a.s.l. (July 20, 2011). After the pumping of water was discontinued, the level rose to 96.1 m a.s.l. (January 28, 2018). The increase in the water volume in the quarry pit during specific periods was determined (actual retention increase). The obtained data on the volume of the retained water referred to the period during which it accumulated in the quarry. On average, the net increase in water retention in the excavation pit was 138.537 m3∙d−1, and the calculated net supply from the direct catchment (16.04 ha) was 101.758 m3∙d−1. The use of DTM and measurements of the water level in the excavation pit seem to be an efficient means of estimating the pace of spontaneous filling of the quarry with water supplied from the direct physiographic catchment.

The deficit of fresh water in the world, including the water for agricultural and industrial needs, was estimated at 230 billion m 3 /year in 2000 (Domashenko and Vasilyev, 2018). The water resources are relatively abundant in Europe with a total amount of freshwater of approx. 2270 km 3 / year (EEA Report No 2/2009). According to estimations, the European water resources amount, on average, to approx. 4750 m 3 /year per person. However, Poland is one of the countries that have poor water resources, with a mean annual discharge of surface waters of approx. 61.2 km 3. The average water resource index is 1590 m 3 /year per person (Walczykiewicz, 2014; GUS, 2015; Łabędzki; 2016). In many cases, the water is characterised as low quality (Patro and Zubala, 2012). The deficiency and low quality of water, including the water for irrigation, requires solving a number of auxiliary issues, and among other things, the use of irrigation water from different sources, to enhance the efficient utilization of aquatic resources and to reduce the environmental impact (Tarjuelo et al., 2010; Lykhovyd et al., 2019). Such other water sources may be quarry lakes or pit (mine) lakes that emerge in excavation pits, including quarries, after their operation has been discontinued (

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The study presents the legal requirements concerning the quality of wastewater discharged to waterbodies and to soil after treatment in household wastewater treatment plants located in agglomerations or outside them. The procedure of stopping the operation of a household treatment plant that doesn’t meet the statutory wastewater treatment efficiency was presented. The decision ordering to stop the use of a household wastewater treatment plant has to be preceded by a decision ordering to take measures to limit its adverse impact on the environment. The clarification procedure has to determine the adverse impact on the environment in a doubtless manner and it has to be reflected in the documentation. The assessment of adverse impact should take into account the binding standards of use of the environment. Stopping the operation of a household wastewater treatment plant may result in issuing a decision ordering the user to connect to the sanitary sewage system.