Abstract
Access to recreational areas is particularly important in the context of improving the quality of life in cities. One of the valuable elements of such areas may be water reservoirs and their accompanying springs. An example of such a recreational area is the so-called Palowice Lake District (southern Poland), which includes three water reservoirs, ten breeding ponds and two springs from which water is taken. Water from the springs is considered to be of very good quality and is regularly consumed by residents of nearby towns as well as tourists. The quality of these waters is influenced by natural factors such as weathering of rocks, evapotranspiration, atmospheric deposition, climate change, but also by anthropogenic factors such as industrial effluents, domestic activities, tourist traffic and agricultural activities. However, the results of research conducted in the area of the springs indicate the presence of E. coli and enterococci in the water. The latter are characterized by longer survival in water. Consuming such water may lead to the development of numerous digestive system diseases, hence the issue of protecting water resources in urbanized areas, including conducting representative monitoring of the quality of these waters, is extremely important.