In Irkutsk, rescuers install wooden signs saying Swimming prohibited on the shores of water bodies every week because of the poor sanitary condition of the water at popular recreation areas. The pollution is caused by litter left by vacationers and by car washing in the coastal zone. This year the city administration bought 600 such signs, which will be used until spring 2014.
These measures are prescribed by the conclusion of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing for the Irkutsk Region. The sanitary and hygienic condition of the water in the areas where city residents gather for recreation is caused by pollution from objects along the shoreline – vacationers leave trash, sometimes throwing it directly into the water, and city residents often wash cars in the coastal zone. Therefore, city rescuers install wooden signs there every week: “Swimming prohibited.”The lifespan of such signs ranges from a few minutes to a week; according to employees of the Department for Civil Defense and Emergency Situations of the Irkutsk city administration, in the same place the sign has to be put up again after a week. This year, the Irkutsk administration purchased 600 such wooden signs for 90 thousand rubles, which will be placed on the shores of bodies of water until spring 2014.