Cold comfort for Russia's 'driest city'

No hot water for wintry Vladivostok

Residents in the Russian far eastern city of Vladivostok are facing an indefinite cut in their hot water supplies.

The harsh new measures are being introduced by the authorities to prevent a total collapse of the city's water supply following a prolonged drought.

Water to Vladivostok's businesses was cut off in early September and residential areas are receiving running water for just two or three hours a day.

A state of emergency was introduced in September and police have now been ordered to step up vigilance to ensure rationing works, Russian TV reports.

Only hospitals, schools and kindergartens have been spared the harsh restrictions, which the authorities hope will tide the city over until next autumn.

Nobody can save us but ourselves. And the way to do it is through economy, economy and economy Yuriy Molochnyy, deputy mayor

Exceptionally low rainfall in the Maritime Territory, compounded by chronic under-investment, partly as a result of unpaid utility bills, has left the city's reservoirs at one third of the critical level.

With the latest emergency measures in place, stocks will last for another 10 months, the region's governor Sergey Darkin says. Without them, there would have been no water left by next March.

"Our appeal to the public is this: nobody can save us but ourselves," deputy mayor Yuriy Molochnyy says. "And the way to do it is though economy, economy and economy."

But the region's water problems are nothing new. A similar crisis erupted in 1997, brought on by a dry summer and the threat of a strike by water utility staff over unpaid wages.

Crisis-prone

A project to build a new pipeline and tap into underground water reserves has been on paper for years.

But the huge cost - between $30m and $100m - and squabbles between the central, regional and municipal authorities over who should foot the bill have left the residents fending for themselves.

A new pipeline is still on paper

Derelict water wells are being restored all over the city, and bottled water is a major cash-earner for local businesses.

The water shortage is just the latest crisis to hit the Maritime Territory.

In the recent past, there were frequent fuel shortages and power blackouts which left entire cities without central heating in the middle of winter, prompting street protests.

"Maritime Territory was previously known as Russia's coldest region. Now Vladivostok has become Russia's driest city," Russian TV said.

Most Russian apartment buildings receive their hot water and heating centrally.

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