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Since 2017, risk assessments for water intakes in Poland have provided the basis for decisions to establish indirect water protection zones. The preventive, risk-based approach and the related risk minimization measures are required under the provisions of the Drinking Water Directive (DWD) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human consumption. This approach is in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for water safety plans. The aim of this study was to present a methodology and to carry out a risk assessment of the threats to surface water intakes, which in Poland, should be completed by the end of 2022. Risk assessments were performed for four onshore-type surface water intakes located in south-eastern Poland. The results were presented in aggregate form, which enabled clear presentation and conclusions. It was found that the greatest risks are associated with seasonal changes in water quality (mainly high turbidity and water blooms), unregulated sewage management, the occurrence of floodwater flows and catastrophic events caused by the potential failure of wastewater treatment plants. Based on the results of the risk assessment, the need to establish new, or to adjust the existing, protection zones for the analyzed water intakes was identified.

This paper first presents the results of polling on the subject of potable water in crisis situations, with respondents from south-eastern Poland’s Subcarpathian region asked for their opinions on the level of nuisance associated with water supply interruptions and water quality, levels of consumption and water companies’ quality of service. Among the respondents 53% regard the quality of the water they receive as satisfactory, while a quarter see it as only average. However, respondents are relatively satisfied with the corporate response when supplies are interrupted, as methods and means of notification are judged effective by 60%. Continuing with work to assess possibilities for water companies to improve their performance in crisis situations, the present study generates an Analytical Hierarchy Process allowing recipients to determine importance criteria where quality of service is concerned. This could facilitate management by water companies, providing for centralised control and comparison that help secure services of appropriate quality. The process can also help protect different groups of recipients, as safety is evaluated through analysis of functioning, and of failures and losses.

Magnitudes and color indices in the Vilnius seven-color system were determined for 1752 stars down to V = 19.5 mag in the direction of the open cluster M29 (NGC 6913). The region is centered at RA = 20:24, DEC = +38:30 (J2000) and covers an area of 1.5 sq. deg. The photometric data are used to classify about 70% of stars in spectral and luminosity classes and peculiarity types.

We have performed multicolor CCD observations of the central area of NGC 752 to search for faint, low-mass members of this open cluster. Four 12’ x 12’ fields were taken on the 1.8 m Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (Mt. Graham, Arizona) using a 4K CCD camera and eight intermediate-band filters of the Strömvil (Strömgren + Vilnius) system. In this paper we present a catalog of photometry for 405 stars down to the limiting magnitude V = 18.5, which contains V magnitudes and color indices of the Vilnius system, together with photometric determinations of spectral types, absolute magnitudes MV, interstellar reddening values EY−V and metallicity parameters [Fe/H]. The good quality multicolor data made it possible to identify the locus of the lower main sequence to four magnitudes beyond the previous (photographic) limit. A relatively small number of photometric members identified at faint magnitudes seems to be indicative of actual dissolution of the cluster from the low-mass end.

The development of appropriate assessment methods of gas-pipeline functionality contributes to the reduction of failure consequences and helps engineers to make the right decisions as to the optimal solution choice for technical facilities, as well as provides procedures to protect their users and the surrounding environment. This paper presents methods for the assessment of gas network operation. Pipe failure data were collected from a gas distribution network. A statistical analysis of the failure of gas networks was made. An attempt was made to isolate seasonal and accidental fluctuations in the tested failure stream. The Poisson distribution was proposed as a model of failure distribution of gas networks. The conducted analysis allowed us to propose the forecasting method of acceptable failure consequences using the homogeneous Markov chain. The obtained results are valuable for supporting the management of urban gas networks, mainly in terms of the strategic modernization plans and the rehabilitation techniques.

The importance of determining the error of the flat field in CCD photometry is detailed and our methods of doing this are described. We now have reached a precision of 1-1.5 % in our photometry. Color-magnitude diagrams of the open cluster M67 (ours and Laugalys et al. 2003) are compared.

We briefly describe a method of organizing all the star field exposures taken in a complete CCD observational run. By a “CommandLog” (to be published in J. Astron. Data) one can organize all the observations and process them within IRAF in an orderly, automated manner to arrive at stellar photometry calibrated into a standard photometric system (in our case, Strömvil). During the course of this processing we determine the error of the flat and try to correct it.

Badania sondażowe są ważnym elementem pozwalającym poprawić działanie systemu zaopatrzenie w wodę oraz bezpieczeństwo jego funkcjonowania. W pracy przedstawiono wyniki badań przeprowadzonego sondażu, na temat zadowolenia z funkcjonowania wodociągów publicznych przez konsumentów korzystających z ich usług. W badaniu udział wzięło 100 respondentów z miasta Mielec. Badanie obejmowało opinie ankietowanych na temat cen i jakości wody, nieudogodnień oraz poziomu uciążliwości jaki są związane z przerwami w dostawie wody.

Archaeological bone chemical composition is modified post-mortem by diagenesis processes, and over decades, several authors have proposed different protocols to avoid post-depositional contamination that can carry to misleading interpretations about the lifestyle and origin of ancient populations. In this work, a methodological approach based on rare earth elements analysis was developed to determine diagenetic alterations on femurs, humeri, and skull surfaces, and internal layers from thirteen individuals exhumed during fieldwork in the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Mosque at Rozafa Castle (Shkodër, Albania). Major, minor, and trace elements, including rare earth elements, were measured employing spectrometric techniques, and the obtained data were statistically processed by principal component analysis and one-way ANOVA to select the best preserved bones. The results show that in general, the internal parts of bones, especially skulls, suffered post-depositional chemical contamination. Finally, to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a diet reconstruction employing log(Sr/Ca) and Zn/Ca was tested, obtaining results that are in line with the literature describing a diet based on a mixed economy, mostly agricultural products with low protein intakes.