Veesüsteem

Veesüsteem is the network of infrastructure and systems that manage the collection, treatment, distribution, and use of water, as well as the collection and treatment of wastewater. It serves households, industry, agriculture, and public services, and includes mechanisms for protecting water quality and reducing environmental impact.

Key components include water sources (surface water, groundwater, rainwater harvesting); treatment facilities (potable water plants, filtration, disinfection); storage and distribution (pumping stations, reservoirs, pipelines); and wastewater systems (sewers, wastewater treatment plants, stormwater drainage). Some systems also support water reuse and recycling.

Operations are typically coordinated by public or private utilities and regulated by government authorities. They involve water quality monitoring, leakage management, asset maintenance, pricing, and customer services, supported by metering and digital monitoring where available.

Sustainability considerations include reducing non-revenue water losses, energy use, and chemical use in treatment, protecting source waters, and adapting networks to climate change and urban growth.

Historically, veesüsteem development spans ancient aqueducts and modern centralized networks, with improvements in filtration, disinfection, and computerized network management. Governance models vary by country, but most systems aim for reliability, safety, affordability, and resilience.