Oberflächenwasser ist Wasser, das auf der Erdoberfläche offen und ungebunden ist.
This includes surface water such as rivers or lakes and rainwater that has not yet seeped away or flowed into receiving waters. The opposite of surface water is groundwater. Surface water is usually rich in suspended or dissolved solids. Since both suspended solids and dissolved solids can contain pollutants, surface water can only be used as drinking or industrial water after treatment.
The EU directives define the classification of different surface waters and their systems. It distinguishes: Rivers, lakes, transitional waters and coastal waters.
