Water crisis in Russian Far East

Vladivostok has plenty of sea water, but not a drop to drink

The Russian city of Vladivostok has declared a state of emergency, following an acute shortage of water.

Despite conservation measures, the far-eastern port city is only receiving one seventh of its daily needs.

Rationing is in force, but many parts of Vladivostok are completely without water and residents have taken to restoring deserted wells.

The city is suffering from a protracted drought, as well as a dispute between water and energy suppliers.

The authorities admit the situation is spiralling out of control.

The state of emergency means that water supplies to all the city's businesses - except for food-producing firms - are being cut off on Wednesday.

We need to decide whether to cut off hot water or whether to restrict supplies even further and provide it once every two days Dmitriy Butin water company engineer

Russia's Pacific fleet, which is based in Vladivostok, will also be without water.

Only kindergartens, schools and hospitals will receive uninterrupted supplies.

Residential areas, which have been receiving water for two hours a day only, will face further restrictions.

"We need to decide whether to cut off hot water or whether to restrict supplies even further and provide it once every two days," said Dmitriy Butin, deputy chief engineer at the local water company.

Unrest

The reason for the crisis is the region's unprecedented drought, compounded by a power company's decision to switch off electricity supplies to pumping stations.

The company says the cuts are legitimate, pointing to unpaid bills - but it now faces being sued by the local authorities.

Correspondents say that reservoirs are expected to run dry in the next three months, and no significant rain is expected before November at the earliest.

The BBC's Stephen Eke in Moscow says Russia's far eastern region has chronic problems in providing clean water, power and heating to its inhabitants.

Each year, as the bitterly cold winter approaches, there is a fuel and heating crisis and power is disrupted.

There has at times been unrest. Three years ago, local inhabitants took to blocking the Trans-Siberian railway to protest about their poor living conditions.