Water in Russia's largest rivers is "polluted" and "dirty," according to a report from the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Most of the country's largest rivers—the Volga, Ob, Yenisei, Don, Amur, and their tributaries—remain classified as "polluted" and "dirty" water bodies, according to the draft State Report. "On the state and protection of the environment of the Russian Federation in 2025", published by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Sources and nature of pollution
The main source of pollution is municipal and industrial wastewater. A significant portion of wastewater treatment plants in the regions are operating beyond their design capacity or require extensive modernization.
In the beds of large rivers and shipping canals, the source of secondary water pollution often comes from bottom sediments, in which heavy metals and persistent organic compounds accumulate over decades of intensive industrial exploitation.
In surface waters, excesses of maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs) are consistently recorded for iron compounds, copper, difficult-to-oxidize organic substances, as well as petroleum products and nitrates (in areas with intensive agriculture).
The state of Lake Baikal, reservoirs and utility networks
In Lake Baikal, the water quality in the deep part remains consistently clean, but the shallow waters, especially in areas with high tourist loads, suffer from local anthropogenic impacts and the growth of algae (spirogyra).
The problem of seasonal water blooms caused by high levels of biogenic elements persists in the reservoirs of the Volga-Kama cascade.
The report also notes a high rate of water loss during transportation to consumers: on average, up to 10–15% of the intake volume across the country, and significantly higher in certain regions with outdated utility and drainage networks.