August M
Access to clean drinking water is something most people take for granted when they turn on the tap.
But when basic public utilities are left to rot for decades, the everyday act of pouring a glass of water can turn deadly, reports United24Media.
A deadly tap
Environmental neglect is taking a massive toll across Russia. According to a recent report by United24 Media, dangerous conditions in the country’s water, air, and soil caused roughly 21,600 premature deaths last year alone.
The state health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor collected the raw numbers. Later, the research project “If to be Precise” analyzed the data. The Moscow Times reported that these environmental hazards triggered 2.6 million illnesses and dealt a massive economic blow.
Dirty drinking water is the primary killer. The health agency estimates that contaminated water alone caused 12,400 deaths and left more than 1.5 million citizens dealing with severe sickness.
While overall deaths from water-related diseases fell by about a third over the last decade, digestive tract issues remain incredibly common. Stomach problems killed about 7,000 people. Heart illnesses and malignant tumors accounted for the remaining fatalities.
Decaying Soviet pipes
The root of this environmental crisis lies deep beneath the ground. Lawmaker Sergey Kolunov noted that most water treatment facilities date back to the 1960s and 1970s. They are ancient. He warned that these aging systems face an average wear-and-tear rate of 80 percent, peaking at 90 percent in some regions.
The lack of modern infrastructure leaves millions exposed. Another official, Alexander Kogan, reported that roughly 20 percent of the population lives without any access to centralized or local water purification systems.
The system is rotting much faster than workers can repair it. Lawmaker Ilya Volfson estimates that crews only upgrade about one to two percent of the infrastructure each year, failing to keep up with a three percent annual decay rate.
Rising river pollution
Meanwhile, the nation’s natural water bodies are facing unprecedented stress. Official tracking shows that severe pollution cases in rivers and lakes spiked from 2,471 in 2022 to 3,095 in 2024. The famous Volga and Ob river basins are the most heavily contaminated.
While domestic infrastructure crumbles, Russia has also exported ecological devastation across its borders. United24 Media noted that Moscow has committed over 7,000 environmental crimes during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This onslaught caused billions in damage to foreign soil and water supplies.
Sources: United24 Media, The Moscow Times, Rospotrebnadzor, If to be Precise
