On the control of drinking water quality and wastewater composition reflected in the RF new regulations

Summary

Some critical comments to 416-FZ Federal Law «On water supply and wastewater disposal» of December 7, 2011 are presented. It is noted that the statutory wording can be often liable to differing interpretations of the most important provisions whereas the regulations adopted in furtherance of the law are not associated with the holistic view of the problem. The control and supervision aspect of water supply and wastewater disposal is considered that has been regulated by the new RF enactments. «The rules of operational control of the drinking water, hot water quality and safety» approved by RF Government Decree No. 10 of January 6, 2015 are discussed. Some concerns are voiced that a common limited list of indicators for all the public water supply systems will be established which can result in formalistic development and approval of the programs of water quality and safety operational control; in the lack of proper quality surveillance. It will cause serious degradation of the situation with drinking water in Russia. In relation to the problem of the composition and properties of wastewater discharged into public sewers it is shown that all the customer categories irrespective of the discharged wastewater amount shall carry our routine operational control of the composition and properties of wastewater (independently and at their own expense), and submit the results to the water services company. The company, in its turn, will check the conformity of the submitted information with the actual data («The rules of using public water and wastewater systems in the Russian Federation», paragraph 65). 416-FZ Federal Law and the documents adopted on its basis compared to the previous acting statutory enactments will be a step backwards in relation to the procedure of operational control of drinking water quality, wastewater composition and properties as well as the safety of the mentioned water environment.

Key words

potable water , wastewater , water supply , water disposal , water safety and quality control , federal law