MOSCOW --Residents of the port city of Vladivostok have been without water for weeks as reservoirs reach critically low levels, according to a news agency report. Most industrial enterprises have been cut off from water in the city of 700,000 people, located on Russia's east coast. In many apartment buildings, the only source of water is a tap in the basement or on the first floor.
City officials said a drought in 1997 had left suburban reservoirs empty. Other, smaller wells are now running out of water. Vladivostok has been hit by water and energy cuts since the fall of the Soviet Union. In October, locals lost water for days, and endured power cuts lasting up to 12 hours.
Vladivostok Mayor Victor Cherepkov recently said that there would be no hot water in the city for the entire summer, though some homes in the region have not yet been cut off.
Because of the low level of water, mold has fully contaminated some reservoirs, making the water in them undrinkable. Cherepkov announced recently that he would spend 400,000 rubles to renovate local water equipment, which would give the city access to more water. But the project will take a month, his press center said.
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