The old Dobrogea hides deep underground perhaps the most valuable of our treasures. A huge water reserve, 90 million years old, analyzed by both Romanian and Bulgarian hydrologists. Old people speak of it as of an underground river that crosses Constanta and is much bigger than the Danube, according to Pro TV. Authorities confirm its existence, but don’t go into too much detail, although this could be our main water source in dark times.

Silistea, Constanta County. There’s terrible draught and the villagers start thinking of the underground river that their grandparents were talking about. Some of them wanted to confirm that this is more than just a story and started drilling. With 2,000 Euro. Gheorghe Popa showed everybody that he is not crazy.

But what is that water underground? It could be the fourth arm of the Danube, lost under the sand of Dobrogea, as Herodotus used to think in ancient times.

As early as in the 1960s, hydrologists tried to establish the quality and quantity of Dobrogea’s underground water, by experimental drilling. The last project lasted 24 months and was conducted together with Bulgarian researchers. So nowadays, it is known how much of the story is legend and what is actually true.

Dobrogea has not one, but two huge reserves of underground water. One in the north, going 100 meters deep. The second is in the south and appeared in the Jurassic period. It comes from Bulgaria, where it crosses 200 km, and goes on for 80 more in our underground.

A small part of this 90 million year old reserve is supplying water to 48 localities in Constanta County. The water is without chloride and nitrites and has a perfect balance of calcium, magnesium and iron.

The reserve could be used at times of draught to irrigate crops, since the local irrigation system is in ruin and parts of it have been stolen. But researchers say this would be a wrong move.

“It has to be preserved for future generations. It doesn’t evaporate,” said scientist Rodica Macale. Meaning that once the extraction begins, the balance breaks. An almost impossible choice. Do we save agriculture or keep the ace up our sleeve, given the imminent water crisis on global level? 

Comoara din adancurile Dobrogei. Descoperirea care confirma teoria lui Herodot din Antichitate
 

Batrana Dobroge ascunde in adancuri poate cea mai de pret dintre comorile noastre. Un rezervor imens de apa, vechi de 90 de milioane de ani, cercetat in egala masura de hidrologii romani si bulgari. Batranii vorbesc de el ca despre un fluviu subteran care traverseaza judetul Constanta cu un debit care l-ar depasi cu mult pe cel al Dunarii, informeaza ProTv. Autoritarile confirma ca exista, dar nu intra prea mult in detalii. Desi poate fi sursa noastra de apa in timpuri negre.

Comuna Silistea, judetul Constanta. E seceta crunta, iar in mintea satenilor apare iar fluviul de sub pamant, despre care vorbeau bunicii lor. Cativa au vrut sa se convinga ca nu-i doar un basm si au inceput sa foreze. Cu 2000 de euro, Gheorghe Popa le-a demonstrat tuturor ca nu e nebun.

Dar ce a tasnit de fapt din pamant? Ar putea fi al patrulea brat al Dunarii, pierdut sub nisipul Dobrogei, asa cum banuia Herodot in antichitate.

Inca din anii '60, hidrologii au incercat sa lamureasca, prin foraje experimentale, care sunt calitatea si cantitatea apelor subterane din Dobrogea.

Ultimul proiect a durat 24 de luni si s-a desfasurat impreuna cu cercetatori bulgari. Astazi se stie cat este legenda si cat adevar.

Dobrogea are nu unul, ci doua rezervoare imense de apa subterana. Unul in nord, care merge pana la 100 de metri in adancime. Altul in sud, format in Jurassic. Vine dinspre Bulgaria, unde acopera 200 de kilometri, iar la noi mai sunt inca 80.

O parte din apa formata la 600-700 de metri sub sol curge spre vest, in zona Giurgiu, alta se disipa treptat spre Mare.

O mica parte din depozitul vechi de 90 de milioane de ani alimenteaza 48 de localitati din judetul Constanta. Apa neclorinata, fara nitriti, cu un echilibru perfect de calciu, magneziu si fier. Dar se poate oare mai mult?

In ultimii 20 de ani reteaua de irigatii din Dobrogea a fost lasata in paragina sau furata bucata cu bucata de hoti. In astfel de perioade de seceta, apa de adancime ar putea fi varianta salvatoare. Doar ca cercetatorii spun ca ar fi o miscare strategica total gresita.

''Trebuie prezervate pentru generatiile viitoare. Nu se evapora, sunt ape legate de componenta rocilor", spune Rodica Macale, cercetator stiintific.

Adica, odata inceputa extractia, echilibrul se rupe. O alegere aproape imposibila. Salvam agricultura sau pastram asul din maneca, in conditiile unei deja anuntate crize de apa la nivel planetar?