In the Irkutsk region, a long term Clean Water program until 2020 is being prepared, which should unite solutions to the most acute drinking water and sewage problems. Despite huge water reserves, many areas suffer from a shortage of quality water, worn out networks and pollution of the Angara, so the authorities hope to attract additional federal and off budget funds. The program is planned to include not only construction and modernization of facilities, but also the introduction of market mechanisms, as well as measures for schools, hospitals and kindergartens.

Regional authorities intend to develop a long-term targeted program, “Clean Water,” through 2020. At present, the Irkutsk Region has a subprogram in place to provide the population with quality drinking water for 2007–2010, but it does not cover all the pressing problems. Making it a standalone document will make it possible to obtain additional budget funds within the framework of a similar federal program, which is also currently being developed. In addition, one of the main tasks of “Clean Water” is the introduction of market mechanisms in the water supply and sewerage sector and, as a result, the attraction of investment.
It has been said repeatedly that the Irkutsk Region, despite having colossal water reserves, faces shortages in certain districts. This paradoxical situation did not arise today. For many years, residents of, for example, the Kuytun District or the Ust-Ordynsky Okrug used only delivered drinking water, because there are no surface or underground sources there. But the problems do not end there. The quality of water in towns and settlements located along the Angara River also leaves much to be desired. According to Professor Viktor Chupin of Irkutsk State Technical University, the cleanest water is drunk by residents of Irkutsk and Shelekhov.
– Studies have shown that the main pollutant of the Angara is Irkutsk, or rather, its wastewater, – the scientist noted at a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on the development of the regional “Clean Water” program. – There are no large industrial enterprises in the city, but because there is no centralized storm sewer system, surface water flows into the Angara. In addition, the total volume of all wastewater from Irkutsk is almost twice the capacity of its sewage treatment facilities. As a result, towns and settlements located downstream suffer.
Viktor Chupin cited Angarsk as an example. A large number of E. coli bacteria in the city’s water intake, which can be neutralized with chlorine, is not the only flaw. According to the professor, when specialists from the Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Scientific Center for Medical Ecology of the East Siberian Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences took tap water samples in Angarsk, they found hepatitis A virus in some of them.
– Scientists have proven that chlorine does not kill this virus, and ultraviolet irradiation only prevents it from multiplying, – Viktor Chupin noted. – Therefore, Angarsk needs to move away from the practice of using an open water intake. And the farther downstream along the Angara, the worse the water quality. Thus, the only water source for Cheremkhovo and Svirsk produces up to 300,000–400,000 E. coli bacteria per liter of water. And organochlorine compounds exceed the maximum permissible standards by four times.
The aging water supply and sewer networks, the wear and tear of sewage treatment facilities (STFs) and water intakes, and outdated treatment technologies remain a headache for all municipalities. But the biggest problem of the Angara region, in Viktor Chupin’s opinion, is that 85% of water intake sources are open.
Today European countries are switching to underground sources of drinking water, since they are better protected from anthropogenic impact. There are quite a few such sources in the Irkutsk Region. There are 55 explored ones alone. However, only 11% of them are used. And the absence of sanitary protection zones for both explored and potential underground sources may soon lead to their contamination, if it has not already done so.
To improve the water supply situation in the Angara region, a subprogram to provide the population with quality drinking water was adopted two years ago as part of the regional target program “Modernization of Municipal Infrastructure Facilities for 2007–2010.”
– The subprogram effectively began operating in 2008, – said Alexander Trifonov, Deputy Minister for Housing Policy, Energy, Transport and Communications of the region. – Certain results have been achieved: sewage treatment facilities have been installed in Baikalsk. This year, we hope, sewage treatment facilities in Slyudyanka will be put into operation. Work continues on the construction of a water intake facilities complex and the reconstruction of water supply systems in the settlement of Rudnogorsk in the Nizhneilimsky District. In total, the subprogram covers more than 20 municipalities.
However, for the regional and local budgets, the problems of the water supply and sewerage sector, accumulated over the years, are simply unmanageable. For example, the reconstruction of water supply facilities in Bodaibo costs about 250 million rubles, while funding for the entire subprogram is planned at 306 million. Therefore, regional authorities have begun developing an independent “Clean Water” program. A similar one is currently being prepared at the federal level, so the region will have the opportunity to attract funds from the state treasury.
According to Alexander Trifonov, the basis for the regulatory document will be the existing subprogram, which includes the construction, reconstruction, and modernization of water supply, wastewater disposal, and sewerage facilities. The emphasis, however, will be placed on introducing market mechanisms for managing the water supply and sewerage sector and creating conditions for financing this industry, including through non-budgetary sources. The program will also include socially oriented measures. For example, providing schools, hospitals, kindergartens, and other social institutions with individual units and filters for water purification.
Representatives of four territories – Irkutsk, Angarsk, Cheremkhovo, and Nizhneudinsk – spoke at the meeting and submitted their proposals for the program being developed. Galina Rudnikova, director of the municipal unitary enterprise “Angarsk Vodokanal,” presented new technologies that have been introduced into the city’s water supply system over the past few years. Moreover, this was often done at the enterprise’s own expense, which indicates the possibility of profitable operation of municipal utilities. It is possible that the experience of “Angarsk Vodokanal” will later be extended to other cities in the region.
Andrey Kurtin, chief engineer of the Irkutsk municipal unitary enterprise “Production Department of Water Supply and Sewerage,” stated that in the near future it is planned to develop a project to increase the capacity of the city’s sewage treatment facilities by almost two times. Preliminary estimates put the cost at around 3 billion rubles. The investment justification has already been prepared. Deputy Chairman of the regional government Mikhail Kruchinin instructed Alexander Trifonov to work out the issue of including this project in the program, as well as to analyze the proposals voiced by other participants in the interdepartmental working group.
– Today, the Irkutsk Region annually gives the Federation 800–900 million rubles in water tax, – summarized the meeting’s results Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Gennady Nesterovich. – In return, we receive many times less – 40–60 million rubles. But when the water tax was taken away from the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, it was stated that the money would be returned for specific projects. This point must be used to the fullest when developing the regional target program.
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