An overview of programmes to improve water quality and supply in the country.

Introduction.

Water crisis, climate change and environmental issues are becoming increasingly relevant in the modern context. Population growth, urbanisation and climate change are exacerbating water management difficulties and threatening sustainable development in Uzbekistan. Water pollution from industrial waste, agricultural run-off and domestic sewage remains a serious problem. Aging infrastructure is also a major factor - many water supply and drainage systems built decades ago do not meet modern standards, leading to water losses and water quality degradation.

Faced with limited water resources, Uzbekistan is actively working to modernise water supply and sanitation systems, introduce innovative technologies and strengthen environmental standards. The focus is on increasing water security, improving the quality of life of the population and ensuring sustainable development of the regions.

The Government of Uzbekistan is implementing targeted programmes to modernise water supply and improve access to clean water. In particular, Presidential Decree No. PP-343 of 24 October 2023 "On Additional Measures for Further Improvement of Drinking Water Supply and Sewerage System" provides for programmes to improve water supply and sewerage for 2024-2026. According to the document, attention will be paid to 813 mahallas with critical water supply conditions, of which 590 mahallas are included in the target programmes of O'zsuvtaʼminot JSC, 130 mahallas in the projects of the state social order of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services, and 93 mahallas will be supported by local initiatives financed from the budgets of khokimiyats.

Modernising the country's water supply and sanitation infrastructure.

The modernisation of Uzbekistan's water and sanitation infrastructure is a top priority for the government, which aims to ensure the sustainable development of water resources and improve the quality of life of the population. To achieve these goals, O'zsuvtaʼminot, together with the International Financial Institutions (IFIs), has launched large-scale projects in 63 districts.

In 2024, ambitious new projects were launched to build and rehabilitate water treatment plants, which will significantly improve the quality of drinking water in both urban and rural areas. The modernisation of the water supply system covered the most water-poor regions of the country, ensuring access to quality drinking water for 85% of the urban population and 70% of the rural population. As a result of the implementation of water supply and sanitation projects in 813 mahallas, 67 facilities were completed, providing improved water supply to the local population.

According to O'zsuvtaʼminot JSC, in 2024 significant results were achieved in the water supply sector: the level of quality drinking water supply increased by 3.5 per cent. At the beginning of 2025, 80.9 per cent of the population of Uzbekistan will be covered by centralised water supply, with plans to increase this indicator to 90 per cent in 2026, and to increase the coverage of sewerage services to 35 per cent. In Andijan and Khorezm provinces, water coverage has reached 92 per cent. Also, for the first time, 1.1 million people living in more than 1.7 thousand mahallas have access to centralised water supply.

In addition, 1,817 kilometres of water supply and 294 kilometres of sewerage networks have been laid and 243 water supply and sewerage facilities constructed and rehabilitated under ongoing projects. One of the most important projects is the 'Improvement of Drinking Water Supply through the Tupalang Reservoir', under which 153 kilometres of water supply networks have been laid, providing drinking water to 156,000 people in the Sariasi, Denau, Shurchi and Kumkurgan districts of Surkhandarya Province.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has been actively developing its water management system, using modern technologies and approaches to improve water supply and sanitation. One of the most important steps in this direction has been the cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which has provided funding for the implementation of smart water management systems, using modern technologies to improve the efficiency of water supply and sanitation. These systems will not only help provide clean water to households, but also modernise sewerage networks and introduce green technologies to help reduce the carbon footprint of urban infrastructure.

The adoption of smart technology will enable the rapid detection of leaks in pipes, reducing water wastage in residential areas. The project aims to improve water security, reduce energy consumption in water supply and sewerage systems, and increase the sustainability of the services provided.

The project includes several important steps. Water metering and telemetry systems will be installed at key water facilities to enable more accurate control of water resources and improved efficiency. In addition, an asset inventory and geographic mapping of the water infrastructure will be carried out to improve system management and facilitate planning for future upgrades and renovations. An important aspect of the project will be the implementation of climate-optimised control systems based on artificial intelligence, which will significantly reduce operating costs and improve the efficiency of the infrastructure. Staff training is also planned, which will improve customer service and interaction, ensuring a higher quality of service.

Water quality control.

Drinking water quality control is one of the key components of Uzbekistan's national policy to ensure public health and prevent diseases caused by the consumption of poor quality water. In recent years, special attention has been paid to maintaining high quality standards, tightening regulatory requirements and introducing new monitoring methods to improve the level of water supply and increase public confidence in the public water management system.

To strengthen water quality monitoring, 3 million water analyses were carried out in 2024, an increase of 3.4% compared to 2023. This indicates a significant improvement in water quality monitoring and the efficiency of the system. There has also been a significant reduction in the level of contamination of drinking water in a number of regions. For example, in Tashkent and Samarkand provinces, the levels of harmful substances such as nitrates and heavy metals have decreased by 20-30 per cent compared to 2020, which is a major achievement in ensuring water safety and public health.

In 2024, with the support of the Ministry of Environment, FAO and the European Union, a project on the rational management, use and introduction of technologies for recycling hazardous chemicals was launched to cleanse water and soil of harmful substances, including pesticides used in cotton cultivation, which have accumulated in significant quantities in the country.

New Water Quality Regulations and Standards.

In December 2024, the government approved new drinking water quality regulations in line with international standards. Unlike SanPiN 0318-15, the new document pays more attention to groundwater and strengthens control over its safety.

Under the updated SanPiN 0083-24, stricter Maximum Allowable Concentrations (MACs) have been introduced for pollutants such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. For example, the permissible concentration of lead has been reduced to 0.01 mg/litre. These changes aim to improve the quality of drinking water and protect the health of citizens, and include additional parameters for assessing water quality, such as permanganate oxidation, which will allow more accurate monitoring of water resources.

Sanitary protection requirements for water bodies have been significantly tightened: the discharge of wastewater into the first and second sanitary protection zones is completely prohibited. The boundaries of these zones are determined in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 981 "On Approval of the Regulation on the Procedure for Establishing Water Protection Zones and Sanitary Protection Zones of Water Bodies on the Territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan".

According to this regulation, the width of the water protection zone of rivers and non-dry seasons must be determined taking into account the geomorphological and hydrogeological conditions, the type of adjacent land use and the average perennial flow. The size of the water protection zones varies as follows

- For large rivers (with a flow of more than 100 cubic metres of water per second) - 300 - 500 metres;

- For medium rivers (with a flow of between 5 and 100 cubic metres of water per second) - 100 - 300 metres;

 - For small rivers (with a flow of 2 to 5 cubic metres of water per second) - 50 - 100 metres;

- For very small rivers and non-drying streams (with a flow of up to 2 cubic metres of water per second) - up to 35 - 50 metres.

The boundaries of the zone of sanitary protection of surface sources of domestic and drinking water supply are established at the following distances from the water intake:

First belt:

- Upstream - not less than 200 metres;

- Downstream - not less than 100 metres;

Second belt:

- Upstream (including tributaries) - the distance is calculated on the basis of the average water flow velocity and time of its flow from the belt boundary to the water intake at the average monthly flow rate of summer-autumn low water with 95% probability, not less than 3 days.

- Downstream - at least 250 metres from the boundary of the first belt.

In addition, strict regulations on bacteriological water pollution and new restrictions on the use of wastewater for agricultural irrigation have been introduced, which will prevent water pollution and improve water security.

Water Resource Management Digitalization and Control Systems.

To improve drinking water quality monitoring, Uzbekistan is implementing new monitoring systems and digitalization initiatives. A key step in the digitalisation of drinking water supply is the introduction of a unified billing system, Uzwater, which is integrated with a number of organisations and agencies. This system is helping to improve the quality and transparency of services provided. To monitor water quality, the 'WATER LAB' system has been introduced and is in test mode, providing for the digitisation of laboratories and electronic data recording. The "SuvniAsra" system, which includes a mobile application and a Telegram bot @suvmuammobot to improve interaction with consumers, has been created to provide a prompt response to citizens' requests in the area of water supply. In 2024, the single call centre (1255) was also improved, which handled 137.1 thousand complaints, of which 87% were successfully resolved.

Plans for 2025.

The Uzbekistan's draft development programme for 2025 outlines ambitious goals to improve the country's water supply and quality. One of the key areas is the introduction of technologies that will enable efficient use of water resources, reduce water consumption and minimise the environmental footprint.

To protect water resources from industrial pollution, Uzbekistan is introducing strict restrictions on the use of fuel oil in the power sector, which will help reduce the toxicity of wastewater. There is also a ban on the construction of new polluting industries, such as tanneries and hazard class I-II plants, in the cities of Tashkent, Nukus and regional centres.

One more key step in improving water management is the use of treated wastewater to irrigate green areas and agricultural crops. This not only helps to reduce freshwater consumption, but also reduces the load on wastewater treatment plants, making the water supply system more sustainable and efficient.

Another important aspect of the programme project is the development of a scientific basis for solving water supply and sanitation problems. The opening of in vitro laboratories in regions such as Karakalpakstan, Bukhara and Surkhandarya provinces will be an important step in the development of water treatment and salinity control technologies. These laboratories will develop innovative methods to treat water and improve the quality of water resources, which will further improve the efficiency of the country's water supply and sanitation system.

Conclusion.

Implementation of large-scale programmes to modernise water supply and improve water quality in Uzbekistan is a strategic direction of government policy. Significant results have already been achieved, thanks to a comprehensive approach that includes the modernisation of infrastructure, the introduction of modern technologies and the tightening of environmental standards. The proportion of the population served by centralised water supply has increased significantly, and the level of water pollution has been reduced.

The introduction of digital systems for monitoring and managing water supplies is helping to optimise the use of water resources and increase transparency in their distribution. Active cooperation with international financial institutions is helping to attract investment and introduce advanced technologies in the water sector.

Despite the successes achieved, challenges remain related to increasing water demand, climate change and the need for more efficient resource management. Further development of the water supply sector will focus on increasing access to clean water, reducing transport losses and improving the efficiency of treatment facilities. It is important to continue work on improving the regulatory framework, developing new environmental standards and involving the population in the processes of rational use of water resources.

The measures implemented in Uzbekistan will not only improve the current state of water supply, but also lay the foundation for sustainable development of the water sector in the long term.