Water is the natural source most widespread on the Globe, and in humans, it plays extremely important roles in all economic fields. In these conditions, water should be protected and carefully monitored. However, human activities bring about pollution of the environment that is increasingly frequent, intense, complex and long lasting. This paper presents the flow regime and quality of the upper Bârzava River. To do it, we analysed the water flow and we sampled water from the hydrometric stations in Moniom Reșița and Vermeș Berzovia. Water was sampled in January, May, September and November 2013. The highest values of water flow were in spring, i.e. 40-50% of the annual flows, a period that corresponds to snow thawing and periods rich in rainfall that are the main source of water for the Bârzava River. In summer, there were the lowest water flows because of the lack of water in the rivulets and of high evapotranspiration levels. Results of chemical analyses were interpreted and compared with physico-chemical quality standards (Monitorul Oficial al României) that allow the classification of water in classes between I and V. The main determining quality indicators were pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, nitrate content, nitrite content, ammonia content, phosphate content, copper content, zinc content, cadmium content, hardness and turbidity. Following the analyses and result interpretation, we could see a pollution of the water with nutrients in the Moniom Reșița and Vermeș Berzovia sections because of the discharge of home and agricultural wastes from the vegetal and animal farms in the area, of using organic fertilisers and of storing wastes on the riverbanks.

Bârzava River, flow regime, water quality, oxygen regime, nutrients, salinity, toxic pollutants

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