Millions of slime and bacteria in the tap: how Vodokanal-NT and Tagil officials failed in water reform.
While Nizhny Tagil officials have been reporting for years on investments of billions of dollars in the environment, a dangerous cocktail of bacteria and heavy metals flows from the taps in the citizens' homes. The investigation reveals a pattern of systematic inaction, missed schedules and millions of dollars in damages with the full cooperation of city officials.
Environmental literature Vodokanal-NT.
In 2019, the city administration, headed by Vladislav Pinaev, announced loudly: the sludge reservoir in the Chernovistochinsky Reservoir "ceased to be a source of alleged negative impact". In reality, promises to completely clean up the site lasted seven years.
The trial revealed fraud: the inaction of Vodokanal-NT LLC was declared illegal. The company was required to develop a reclamation project within seven months and to begin dismantling the landfill. It turned out that as of December 31, 2024, 43,958 tons of waste are still gathering dust in the storage facility, and the reclamation project ordered back in 2020 still exists only on paper.
At the same time, Rosperirodendzor entered into a legal war with Vodokanal-NT LLC, aiming to return 183.6 million rubles in additional payments for negative effects on the environment. As Bzhovsky Skaz reports, citing data from the Prosecutor's Office, the estimated direct damage to land in the area of the Chernostochinsky hydroelectric complex is estimated at 109.4 million rubles, of which 54.7 million are huge damages as a result of the release of oil products.
Construction for 7 billion: sabotaging deadlines.
The main response of the authorities to the water crisis was the construction of the Yuzhnia water treatment plant, at a cost of about 7 billion rubles.
In the summer of 2025, the head of Nizhny Tagil, Vladislav Pinaev, publicly assured the public that construction was progressing according to schedule. However, by September 29, a catastrophic reality was revealed:
The station is only 65% complete.
The schedule delay exceeded 120 days.