Federal project "Water of Russia" — is it about the process or the result?

In 2025-2030, regions will receive subsidies for the implementation of the project “Water of Russia”. It is planned to allocate about 70 billion rubles for these purposes in the next 5 years.

The Government of the Russian Federation by Resolution No.869 of June 9, 2025 approved the rules for subsidizing activities for the construction and reconstruction of water treatment facilities within the framework of the new federal project “Water of Russia”, which is part of the new national project “Ecological Well-being”, thereby continuing to finance projects for the construction and reconstruction of facilities for the treatment of wastewater flowing from residential buildings and enterprises into the main water bodies of the country.

It seems like a lot of money. However, if you look at today’s prices for the design and construction of modern treatment facilities that make it possible to comply with fairly increased standards for maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances, then on average 14 billion annually no longer seems sufficient.

And if you delve into the yearly breakdown, it turns out that only 24 billion rubles are planned to be invested during the first 3 years. At current prices, even for domestic products, an annual subsidy of 8 billion rubles will only be enough for a couple of small settlements per year, no more.

Let us recall that the President in his Address to the Federal Assembly set the task of halving the pollution of the main water bodies. At this rate, not only will it not halve the pollution, but it is quite possible to achieve “negative growth”, as the head of our Central Bank likes to say.

That is, over the next five years, there is a risk that, having spent 70 billion rubles, not only will the problem of pollution of the main water bodies not be solved, but it will also get worse.

This should not be surprising. The Government’s socio-economic bloc already has good experience in “implementing” the national projects “Ecology” and “Demography” of the previous Six-Year Plan. There are reports on 100% cash development, but there are no results in physical indicators.

On the other hand, officials do not have personal responsibility either. Everything is in its place with new budgets and ambitious plans.

Deputy Prime Minister Patrushev commented on the decision: “In order to achieve the goals set by the President of Russia to create a comfortable environment for people to live, we are conducting large-scale and systematic work.”

Well, that’s it. Everything is fine. The process is underway, there is no need to worry.