Weaknesses of sustainable water use in the North: wastewater treatment and sanitation in the Arctic region of Russia

Sustainable Water Resources Management. 2025. Vol. 11. Article 49.

Andrei Mikhailovich Dregulo, Alexander Mikhailovich Khodachek, Awasthi M. K.

The sanitary condition and environmental situation in Arctic waters largely depend on the functioning of wastewater treatment systems. This study is devoted to wastewater treatment and sewerage systems in urban cities and towns in the Arctic zone of Russia. Over the past 50 years, the total discharge of wastewater into individual river basins and seas of the Russian Arctic has decreased by almost 50%, while the volume of untreated wastewater has increased by 50–65%. In some small Arctic settlements, sewage systems have become unusable by 57–100%. Sewage treatment plants continue to function, but they are not able to provide high-quality wastewater treatment. Nevertheless, the population is required to make monthly payments for municipal sanitation services. Due to the degradation of wastewater treatment plants, wastewater treatment and sanitation services are not actually performed. It is important to note that many pollutants are unregulated. For example, persistent organic compounds found in Arctic waters can cause cancer in the female population because they are transmitted through the food chain. In Russia, there are no standards for the maximum permissible concentrations of these pollutants in wastewater, which makes it difficult to control them. Based on a comprehensive review and analysis of the literature, the authors conclude that sanitation problems in the Arctic are complex, and attention to the aspects discussed in this study once again confirms this.

Keywords: Arctic, sanitation, Russian Federation, wastewater treatment, Water resources, public utilities

Publication based on the results of: Socio-political, economic and ecological-climatic factors of sustainable development of territories in the context of global challenges (2025)