At a meeting of the board of the Department of Energy and Housing and Communal Services of the Kostanay Region, the state of water supply was discussed. It was reported that the total length of water supply networks in the region is 5,812.1 km, and their wear and tear has reached 35.5%. The length of sewerage networks is 1,307.4 km, with wear and tear at 51.8%.
"Indicators above the regional average are in the cities of Kostanay (79%), Rudny (79.9%), and Arkalyk (60%). Consequently, 90% of accidents occur in the aforementioned cities. In 2020 – 905 accidents (Kostanay – 294, Rudny – 484, Arkalyk – 127, Lisakovsk – 48, Zhitikara – 64, Tobyl – 38), in 2023 – 1,035 accidents (Kostanay – 262, Rudny – 608, Arkalyk – 165, Lisakovsk – 45, Zhitikara – 51, Tobyl – 36). Among the districts, wear and tear of water supply networks is above the regional average in the village of Pertsevka (80%) in the city of Rudny, in the Auliekol (75%), Karasu (65.7%), Altynsarin (50%), B. Mailin (40%), Uzunkol (36.5%) districts, and in the rural zone of the Zhitikara district (51%) and the city of Arkalyk (64%)", reported the head of the department, Dauren Askarov.
As reported by Ratel.kz citing the Department of Housing and Communal Services, efforts are being made to reduce these indicators by repairing existing networks and laying new ones.
At the same time, in 2024, the region will continue to implement 15 projects worth 4.2 billion tenge. Of these, 1.2 billion will go towards 6 projects in rural areas. Thanks to this, water supply network wear and tear is promised to be reduced to 34.9%, and sewerage network wear and tear to 50.9%. It is reported that, on the instructions of the president, by the end of 2025, it is planned to provide 100% of cities and villages across the country with drinking water. Currently, only 98.6% of urban and 86.7% of rural residents of the Kostanay region have access to water supply.
"This year, 18.8 billion tenge has been allocated for the implementation of 59 projects. Additionally, for the revision of the republican budget in February, 48 projects have been submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, of which 31 are rural and 17 are urban, totalling 20.6 billion tenge. In 2024, access to water supply services is planned to be increased to 412 villages, currently 347. Of these, 223 villages will have centralised water supply, and 189 will be supplied with water from complex block modules and points of delivered water. By the end of 2024, access to water supply services for the urban population will be 99%, and for the rural population - 90%", promised Dauren Askarov.
It also became known that the cities of Tobyl (87.9%), Zhitikara (91.6%), and Arkalyk (96.5%) fell slightly short of the highest indicator. Among the villages, 100% access to water supply services was only achieved by the akimats of the Sarykol district and the village of Pertsevka.
By the end of 2025, the authorities need to provide water supply to 145 villages in the following districts: Altynsarin – 6 villages, Amangeldy – 14 villages, Auliekol – 10 villages, B. Mailin – 13 villages, Denisov – 6 villages, Zhangeldin – 2 villages, Zhitikara – 2 villages, Kamysty – 5 villages, Karabalyk – 12 villages, Karasu – 8 villages, Kostanay – 17 villages, Mendykarin – 17 villages, Naurzum – 3 villages, Uzunkol – 12 villages, Fyodorov – 12 villages, Arkalyk – 6 villages.
The Department of Energy and Housing and Communal Services of the Kostanay Region conducted an analysis of implemented and developed rural water supply projects. As a result, numerous errors made by the clients, i.e., the local construction and housing departments, were identified.
For example, in the Kamysty district, the project for "Construction of distribution networks and water supply facilities for the village of Bestobe and the village of Adayevka" предусмотрена укладка водопровода на 20.4 km in two pipes. However, the regional department claims that according to building regulations, just one pipe is sufficient.
Furthermore, it is reported that in the village of Yershovka, Uzunkol district, a water pipeline and pumping station costing 123.6 million tenge were built for over 3 years. The regional Department of Housing and Communal Services determined that the cost could have been much lower. For comparison, the department cited a water supply project in the village of Krasnoselskoye, Beimbet Mailin district. There, the pumping station building cost only 61.7 million tenge.
Furthermore, in the Auliekol district, water supply networks were laid that cannot be connected to water sources at all.
"Due to the poorly prepared design brief by the construction department of the Auliekol district for four projects – 'Water supply for the village of Novoselovka' (costing 170 million tenge), 'Water supply for the village of Yulyevka' (costing 529.7 million tenge), 'Water supply for the village of Koktal' (costing 340.1 million tenge), 'Water supply for the village of Pervomayskoye' (costing 1,369.9 million tenge) – the water intake and first-lift pumping stations were omitted. As a result, the projects require revision as there are no water supply sources", summarised Askarov.
In the opinion of the head of the department, the blame lies with officials who lack specialised or technical education, as well as non-local contractors.