Nearly a Million Cubic Meters of Sludge into the Uzh River: Korosten Owes Huge Sums for Water Pollution

Eco inspectors found that through the city’s storm sewer system, untreated wastewater had been dumped into the water for years. According to scientists’ estimates, the scale is staggering: in five years and more, almost a million cubic meters of filth have accumulated. Now the local communal enterprise has been billed nearly 7 billion hryvnias.

Where the million cubic meters of wastewater came from

During the inspection, ecologists found two main discharge points — on Abdul Usenov Street and Olhynska Street. It is through these that surface runoff has been entering the river for years. The water was tested in a laboratory, and the results were grim: there were huge excesses of nitrogen, phosphates, iron, and other harmful substances. Essentially, it was not just rainwater, but a mixture with an unpleasant surprise, where a significant role was played by unregistered connections from private homes.

The municipal enterprise responsible for these networks had neither a permit for such water use, nor discharge standards, nor even a basic willingness to treat the water. To calculate the total volume of trouble from April 2021 to June 2026 of the year, it was necessary to involve a specialized scientific institute. The verdict is — 945 thousand cubic meters of filth in the river.

Courts, fines, and criminal liability

The Eco Inspectorate has already filed a claim against the enterprise for 6 million 986 thousand hryvnias and gave them one month to voluntarily pay. But money is not all there is to it. Ecologists have gone to court demanding to stop the illegal discharge of water through these pipes altogether until the enterprise obtains all necessary permits.

Moreover, due to the systematic violations, materials are being prepared for transfer to the prosecutor’s office to open a criminal case under the article on violation of water protection rules. By the way, in Korosten this isn’t the first environmental problem with the utilities — the local Water Utility previously also received multi-million fines for similar violations.