In its latest report, the State Audit Office of Hungary (SAO) recommends conducting research and impact studies to lay the groundwork for the rehabilitation of Lake Velence’s water replenishment system in order to ensure a stable water supply in the long term. The SAO also considers it necessary to review the framework for the secondary use of facilities supporting water replenishment.
The aim of the SAO’s audit was to assess whether the measures taken to ensure the sustainable water replenishment of Lake Velence were effective, whether they contributed to avoiding large-scale water level declines during periods of drought, and whether they helped to restore and maintain the lake’s water volume to a good condition.
The report noted that the drought conditions affecting Hungary in recent years have also had a negative impact on Lake Velence, which is considered one of the country’s key tourist destinations: with the exception of a short transitional period, the water level has not reached the minimum regulatory level (130 cm) in recent years. Among other things, the SAO audit examined how a permanent water shortage could occur despite the water replenishment system built at the end of the 1970s.
The audit pointed out that no significant maintenance or improvement investments had been made in the reservoirs since their construction, which is why their condition deteriorated and they became unsuitable for replenishing Lake Velence by the 2020s, failing to fully fulfil their original function.
Although the measures taken during the audited period supported the restoration of Lake Velence to a good water volume, based on the results and findings of the audit, the SAO made a recommendation for the long-term planning of rehabilitation developments related to the replenishment of the lake, supported by extensive impact studies.
The full report in Hungarian is available here.