Dirty tap water sparks protests in Rostov

As pollution from overflowing landfills triggers protests in towns around Moscow, dirty water is causing a public uproar in Rostov’s Yaroslavl region, where the tap water started turning brown and fetid on April 6. After two days, the water returned to normal, but about 100 locals still assembled for an unsanctioned protest last Sunday, despite warnings from the police that they could be prosecuted for disturbing the peace.

More than 1,100 people have signed a petition demanding a public report about what caused the water pollution and what the authorities are doing to ensure that it doesn't happen again. The petition also demands upgraded water-treatment facilities and a recalculation of water utility charges.

What did the authorities do about the bad water?

On Day One, district officials put out a press release assuring locals that the water was still potable, despite its color and smell, provided that people boiled it for at least three minutes. The government said the change was due to melting snow feeding into the local reservoir.

On Day Two, officials now told residents to boil the water for 10 minutes, insisting that the water still conformed to safety standards, despite its color, smell, and turbidity. The authorities also started delivering water tanks to two locations in town.

On Day Three, officials said the water’s foul smell had been reduced by 2.5 times, and all other qualities were within norms for the high-water period.

On Day Four (April 9), officials reported that they’d managed to isolate the contamination, discovering where the meltwater was entering a water pipe. Alexey Konstantinov, the head of the district, admitted that the area’s tap water now contained traces of chlorination.