Bulgaria is second in Europe, after Iceland, in the number of mineral springs

Bulgaria is second in Europe, after Iceland, in the number of mineral springs. However, the country’s mineral water is a limited resource and over the years it has become more difficult to satisfy the needs of the ever growing number of spa complexes in the country. The number of tourist establishments that have been fined for having exceeded the mineral water limit is growing.

Last year, 5 spa facilities in Sapareva Banya were fined for exceeding mineral water limits. The "Basin Directorate" - Blagoevgrad reported that in the areas with developed tourist activity there are already mineral water deposits without available free resource and this is a prerequisite for water shortages in the expansion of existing hotel complexes.

Is there enough mineral water for all spa facilities in Sapareva Banya?

According to the owners of most of them, it is still sufficient, but in the busiest periods they have to save it and therefore stop it for two or three hours.

"On the territory of Sapareva Banya there are about 40 users of mineral water. There is a reservoir with 1,000 cubic metres of water. We have set up a Facebook group and the official in charge of the mineral water quantity informs us when he thinks that the water in the reservoir is drastically decreasing. In this situation each of us considers when to use it more intensively and when to use it economically. Everybody has for now, but you really have to use it wisely and economically," explained Lazar Margin, owner of a villa complex in Sapareva Banya.

Radoslav Yankov is the owner of a guest house in Sapareva Banya. He claims that the mineral water is sufficient at the moment, but is concerned about the large number of spa complexes being built in the area:

"There are many sites in Sapareva Banya that are permitted for use, but they are not actually built yet. When this happens, a decision will already be made, it will be monitored who has spent how much, it will be limited. Even now, when the water in the reservoir decreases, we reduce the quantities so that it doesn't stop."

According to the hoteliers in Sapareva Banya, there is a solution to the problem and it involves deepening the existing geyser by at least another 400 metres.

"Then the amount of mineral water will be between 42 and 48 litres per second and the temperature will rise from 116 to 118 degrees. For comparison, the current flow rate of the mineral spring is 11.2 litres per second," explained Lazar Margin.

Four basin directorates in the country control the quantities of mineral water used. The directorate in Blagoevgrad reports that hoteliers have been fined for exceeding the limit not only in Sapareva Banya. A large spa complex in Dobrinishte is among the ones recently fined. According to the water law, the size of fines for this is between 2,000 and 10,000 BGN.