The Town of the XXI Century
Series of reports on ecological situation in Central Asia

THE SOURCE OF LIFE ON THE PLANET

On-the-ground and underground waters are in danger

The quality of on-the-ground waters in the Republic is especially alarming. In 1996 370 cases of high pollution and 2 cases of extremely high pollution of on-the-ground waters by copper and zinc were registered in the basins of the rivers Glubochanka, Tihaya, Krasnoyarka, Ulba, Breksa, by bore and phenol - in the basin of Ilek river.

Analysis of the on-the-ground water quality monitoring data certifies that Ural and Irtish rivers are the dirtiest rivers of Kazakhstan, where the water pollution index reaches respectively the levels of 7,18 and 6,56. Systematically high levels of pollution of the river Glubochanka by heavy metals are associated with the underground drain of the Belous tail storage place. In comparison with the previous year water pollution index of the river sarysu has increased from 3,60 to 5,44. The water of the river is mainly polluted by oil products (18,2 MLC) and phenols (6,0 MLC).

In Kazakhstan underground water pollution is wide spread. In 1995 in Kazakhstan 3047 clusters of underground water pollution were detected, out of this number systematic observations were organized at 103 objects. The squares of underground water pollution clusters vary from several square kilometers to tens and hundreds of square kilometers.

On the territory of the Republic the main sources of pollution of underground waters are represented by industrial, ore extracting and processing plants, cities, animal growing farms, crop lands, especially specially watered crop lands, various storage places for solid and liquid wastes, oil products, warehouses, vehicles, etc. Underground drinking waters are often polluted because of their influence.

If urgent measures are not taken some of the local underground water pollution problems may grow into the regional-level problems. In Semipalatinsk region oil products accumulated in underground waters close to a military airport (6460 tons on the square of 42 hectares) may enter the stream of underground waters taken to Irtish river, which may lead to an ecological catastrophe in the lower basin of the river, including some regions of Russian Federation. In Pavlodar a mercury pollution of underground waters has been detected (900 tons at the square of 50 hectares).

In Eastern-Kazakhstan region the total square of polluted underground waters exceeds 10 square kilometers with the levels of pollution by heavy metals (lead, zinc) of 100 and more MLC. Up to 50% of the population gt drinking water, which does not meet the standards.

In Karatau-Jambyl industrial region sewage pollutes underground waters of the region between rivers Talas and Assa.

At the watered agricultural land masses underground waters are polluted by toxic chemicals and other toxic substances, which are brought by river waters.

The possibility of radioactive pollution is not excluded in the regions of 32 underground nuclear explosions, which were carried out in Atyrau, Western-Kazakhstan, Mangystau and other regions.

The drain …

Almost all major pollutants enter bodies of water with the liquid wastes brought from chemical, oil processing, machine-building industries and non-ferrous metallurgy. In 1995 out of the total amount of sewage (5,78 cubic kilometers) 0,23 cubic kilometers were determined as being "polluted", 5,29 - as standard-clean, 0,26 - as standard-processed.

The amount of sewage drained and determined as being "polluted" has been decreasing in recent years (from 0,35 cubic kilometers in 1991 to 0,23 cubic kilometers in 1995).

The largest amounts of sewage were drained into the natural bodies of water by the plants of Kazakhstanenergo (1,8), Goskomvodoresurcy (1,1), nuclear energy and industry corporation (1,1) cubic kilometer.

Out of the total amount the largest share of drained "polluted" sewage is attributed to the industrial installations located on the following territories (%): Eastern-Kazakhstan (55,0), Pavlodar (22,8), Karaganda (11,2) and Semipalatinsk (10,1) regions.

In 1995 the volume of collected-drained "standard-clean" waters from watered crop lands has decreased by 0,48 cubic kilometers in comparison with 1994 and reached the level of 1,5 cubic kilometers. The largest amounts of collected-drained waters were drained from the following territories (cubic kilometers): South-Kazakhstan (0,65), Kyzyl-Orda (0,47) and Almaty (0,28) regions.

Despite the decrease in the volume of drained polluted sewage the quality conditions of bodies of water remain unsatisfactory. In Eastern-Kazakhstan as a result of higher than projected amounts of wastes (2-3 times higher than the projected amounts) unsatisfactorily cleaned sewage (BPK combinations exceeding 5-5,1 MLC, nitrogen ammonium - 174 MLC, zinc -3,1 MLC, oil products - 5 MLC) enter Irtish river. 500 tons of zinc, 10 tons of copper and 3 tons of cadmium are annually drained into the river Ulba (a branch of Irtish river). The river Ishim is a source of water for 12 thousand kilometers of mainstream water supply systems (about 600 cities, towns and villages) and that is why the quality of water is a top priority here. The water pollution here is characterized by the following main polluting substances: oil products (up to 50 MLC), copper (38 MLC), phenols (6 MLC). There is information stating that in the water supply system of the city of Petropavlovsk the levels of cadmium are 2-3 times higher than the designed maximum levels of concentration of this substance. In South-Kazakhstan region non-cleaned sewage is drained from Burzhan collector into the river Badam because of the unsatisfactory power of the cleaning devices (projected processing power of 197 thousand cubic meters is actually responsible for cleaning 2300-2500 thousand cubic meters). In 1996 68 tons of pollutants were drained.

The losses …

One of the main national problems is represented by the lack of water resources in the country. In an average year total water resources reach the level of 100,5 cubic kilometers; disposable resources total at 46 cubic kilometers. The deficit at the average multi-year level is 6,6 cubic kilometers; at 95% supply (drought year) - 18,3 cubic kilometers. The deficit in the main river basins: Syrdaria - 1,2 to 3,5 cubic kilometers, Ural - up to 1,7 cubic kilometer, Irtish - considering the necessity of providing future supply for Central and Northern regions and increased consumption in China the deficit may reach 5 cubic kilometers; Zhetysu, Shu, Talas, Nura, Sarysu rivers - up to 2 cubic kilometers.

Dificit of water resources is determined by natural causes (90% of the water flows during spring time), about half of the streams is formed on the territories of surrounding countries and also by extensive use, by abundant non-recyclable water heating systems, by structure of watered crop lands and water losses. Deficit of water resources is felt in all river basins except Irtish river basin. Especially difficult situation is in the basins of transborder rivers, such as Syrdaria, Ural, Ili, Shu, Talas. Increased water consumption by bordering states in the upper basins leads to development of crisis conditions in the lower basins. When deltas dry out (squares of Ili and Syrdaria deltas reach 10 thousand square kilometers) agricultural lands and animal habitats are lost. In 1995 in Jambyl region 7555 hectares were written off along Talas river. 5865 hectares were written off along Shu river as a result of decreased water supply from Kyrgyzstan, which now reaches only 46% of the estimated level. In Western-Kazakhstan region the largest 230 thousand hectares system of river branches is endangered because of decreased water supply from Russia (10,4 million cubic meters instead of the agreed upon 181 million cubic meters).

Significant problem is represented by the decrease in quantity and worsening conditions of the lake systems Within last 10-15 years in Northern Kazakhstan squares of lakes has decreased by 10-12%.

As of 01.01.96, 611 underground water fields have been found and their exploitation resources have been approved at the level of 42,3 million cubic meters per day. Every day 2,47 million cubic meters are used for industrial and drinking water supply of the cities, 0,95 million cubic meters are used for rural areas, 1,06 million cubic meters - for industrial and technical supply, 0,43 - for watering crop lands, 0,39 - for pastures.

In Kazakhstan the largest exploitable resources of underground waters have been found in Taldy-Korgan region - 10,5 million cubic meters per day, the smallest resources --in North-Kazakhstan region - 0,06 million cubic meters per day and Kokshetau region - 0,15 million cubic meters per day.

As a result of intensive exploitation of underground waters by mine-type water

Consumption systems the regional level of underground waters has decreased, washing-out processes have become more active and soil subsiding processes have developed. The squares of large subsiding areas reach 1000 square kilometers, while the decrease of the land level in the center of the subsiding areas can be as low as 100 meters (South-Kazakhstan, Zhezkazgan, Karaganda, Kostanai, Kokshetau, East-Kazakhstan regions).

Large volumes of underground waters are drained without being used. The largest quantities are lost while water is transported. Every day 0,54 million cubic meters of underground waters or 10,25% of the total consumption are uselessly drained.