Low water pressure? Cause and remedy.

Legislation

1. The Civil Code of the Russian Federation regulates relations in the field of rights and contractual obligations. Article 1064 establishes the obligation to compensate for damage caused. It may be necessary if, due to the fault of utility services, things, a washing machine or a boiler become damaged due to rust.
2. The Housing Code of the Russian Federation establishes quality criteria for the provision of housing and communal services.
3. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 6, 2011 No. 354 “On the provision of utility services to owners and users of residential premises in apartment buildings” contains criteria for the quality of water supply, payment procedures, and a recalculation mechanism. Appendix 1 shows the calculation of the reduction in fees for poor-quality services.
4. Decree of the State Construction Committee of the Russian Federation dated September 27, 2003 No. 170 “On approval of rules and standards for the technical operation of housing stock” lists the requirements for the maintenance of the common property of apartment buildings, which includes communications.
5. SapPin 2.1.4.1074-01 “Drinking water and water supply to populated areas” regulates the permissible iron content in tap water (0.3 g per liter).
6. SanPiN 2.1.4.2496-09 “Hygienic requirements for ensuring the safety of hot water supply systems” fixes the maximum interruption of hot water supply for preventive purposes at 14 days.
7. SNiP 2.04.02-84 “Water supply. External networks and structures" defines water supply standards.

Causes of rusty water

The causes of rust may be:

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1. Oxidation of water pipes after stagnation of liquid in communications. This occurs during annual outages for repairs. When it moves through the pipes as usual, the metal practically does not oxidize. When the water supply is shut off, the process occurs within a few hours.
2. Deterioration of communications and their emergency condition. More than half of the pipes in Russia are in poor condition and need to be replaced. For various reasons, utility services do not do this, limiting themselves to routine repairs. The high cost of materials and the global nature of the work forced the organization of capital repair funds at the legislative level. They collect funds from apartment owners to carry out such work.
3. Water treatment plants can't cope. Poor quality water containing metal particles creates rust deposits in pipes.

If the quality of tap water is poor

The question arises whether it is possible to use it for personal hygiene and drinking. To understand this, you need to understand the security aspect. Iron in a concentration of more than 10 mg per liter gives water a rusty tint. It contributes to the failure of household appliances and plumbing fixtures, so the consumer must take action.

IMPORTANT! The iron content standard is 0.3 mg per liter.

Is it possible to wash in it?

This is dangerous to health; you definitely can’t wash in it. In addition to aesthetic nuances, the red coating and odor will not be washed off from the skin; it can cause dermatitis. Brushing your teeth destroys the enamel. Nails take on an orange tint.

Is it possible to drink it

Consumption is even more dangerous. Specific iron is not absorbed by the body, turns into salts and is deposited in the gastrointestinal tract. Promotes the formation of kidney and bladder stones. In addition, ingestion of low-quality liquid reduces immunity, pigments the skin, provokes kidney failure, damage to tooth enamel, and the possible occurrence of various allergic reactions.

To improve the quality of the liquid and make it suitable for oral administration, it is necessary to settle for several days, boil, and purify. Moreover, give preference to filters with activated carbon and silicon.

Bad tap water: what to do

We have to face such a problem as poor quality of tap water. This is especially true for old housing stock, where pipes have not been replaced for many years.

Why is water quality important?

Low-quality water spoils household appliances: a kettle and washing machine quickly break down, and dishes become coated.

Scientists tend to think that water is the source of serious human diseases. And every year the number of such diseases increases. The danger lies in the delayed effect. Poisonous, low-quality water can accumulate in the body for a long time, gradually destroy kidneys and red blood cells, affect the heart and stomach, cause allergies and even provoke oncology.

What to do if the water in the apartment is very bad.

It is a mistake to think that the problem can be solved by boiling. It is ineffective because it does not destroy many chemical compounds and viruses contained in water.

We carry out water analysis

An analysis will tell you that the water is of poor quality.

• It is possible to visually determine the content of certain substances if they are contained in large quantities. Pour water into a transparent glass container and examine it in good lighting. Greenish color of water indicates the presence of hydrochloric acid, brown color indicates sulfuric acid. If black spots remain on the sink and silver from the water, the water is rich in hydrogen sulfide; the brown-orange color and metallic taste indicate a high iron content.

Cloudy water is because there is a lot of methane in the pipes; the sour or fishy smell is associated with organic compounds.

Water with impurities leaves whitish spots on the surface after drying and sediment after boiling.

If you are acutely concerned about the quality of the water from your tap, you can conduct a more detailed analysis.

• At home, you will need special devices or kits to analyze water. They are sold in the store and cost from 300 to 1500 rubles. Such an analysis will cost less than in the laboratory, but will be performed with less quality.
• You can send the water for analysis to a special laboratory. How to collect a sample for the laboratory: wipe the tap, flush the water for 5-10 minutes, collect the liquid in a container (preferably glass). Try to deliver it for analysis as quickly as possible. A regular analysis can take 2 hours, a bacteriological analysis can take up to 2 days.

Of course, Sanpin must check the quality of water, especially in educational and children's institutions. But you can do this yourself by contacting a laboratory (private, public or Rospotrebnadzor).

What to do if the water is of poor quality?

Set aside water for both watering plants and cooking. During the settling process, some harmful substances settle.

Filter. There are many different filters on sale; the most effective are those based on activated carbon and silicon. The more filter elements, the better the water quality. Some people prefer filters with reverse osmosis: a filtered water storage tank is added to the main filter elements. Although some people believe that such water is dead.

Cleaning with the help of special preparations, especially silicon-based ones, is also used.

If rusty water often comes out of the tap, this may indicate poor cleaning quality and wear of the pipes. In this case, you should contact the utility services and recalculate. The only thing is that complaints and recalculation are impossible when planned outages were made. After the water supply is restored, the water may be rusty.

You should not wash, let alone drink, rusty water.

In cases where the water quality is very poor, we file a complaint with the management company; in the absence of measures, with the water utility, and above that with Rospotrebnadzor and law enforcement agencies.

All facts of bad water must be recorded: attach a photo, video, a survey of residents, and a water bill.

We pay for clean, high-quality water, which is the key to health. Therefore, we fully strive to improve water quality.

Photo: ruffnews.ru

What to do if rusty water flows

Legislation guarantees citizens the supply of high-quality utility resources.
Inconsistency of water indicators - rust - gives the right to complain about the violation.

How long does it take to complain?

The only exception, when the appearance of a small amount of rust in the faucet is legitimate, is when carrying out scheduled repair work. After standing for a while, the water may become rusty. But it is enough to drain it within a few minutes to restore the quality of the resource.

In all other situations, when the rust does not drain off, occurs for several days or periodically, you need to complain to the appropriate authorities.

What facts will you need?

To ensure that the complaint is not unfounded, it must be supported by evidence. The most obvious thing is recording with a photo and video camera. It is important that the date and time the entry was created is visible. You can simultaneously give comments about the presence of an unpleasant odor and the duration of the violation.

In addition, it is possible to order an independent examination of the quality of the resource. The customer will pay for the services of the specialist, but subsequently, if he wins the lawsuit, he will receive compensation.

In addition to the poor quality of the utility service, the tenant needs to prove his own integrity as a payer. To do this, you need to take certificates of absence of debt from the Criminal Code and RSO.

Where to go first

The first authority for resolving the conflict is the management company, whose responsibilities include the repair and maintenance of public utilities.

First, you should call the emergency dispatch service and leave a request (you should remember the request number and the name of the dispatcher, as well as the time) . Then, if there is no result within 2 days, you need to send a written complaint, detailing how long it took for the apartment to receive a low-quality resource, what inconvenience it causes, and demand that the violations be corrected immediately.

Attach a copy of the paper on ownership of the living space, a certificate of absence of debt, photo and video materials and a copy of the contract.

You can send the document by registered mail with notification by mail or bring it in person to the Criminal Code. Then you will need to register two copies with the office, one of which you will keep for yourself.

At the same time, such a request can be sent to the water utility.

Is it possible to request a recalculation?

The consumer has every right to demand a recalculation for the days when such liquid flowed. This violation contradicts the requirements of the law, according to which the resource must always be of adequate quality. Moreover, it does not matter whether consumption meters are installed or not.

The basis for changing the fee will be a written or oral request to the emergency dispatch service. If the reasons for the discrepancy are unknown, a representative of the utility service must come to the resident, record the violation and draw up a report on the provision of a service of inadequate quality. The period for recalculation will be:

• from the moment of submitting the application to the Criminal Code;
• until water quality is restored (and the act is signed).

Response time of management company

After a call or letter to the management company, the specialist must appear within two days, having previously agreed on a time with the residents.

Regardless of the outcome, a written complaint must be answered within 30 days.

Sample complaint

When drawing up a complaint to the Criminal Code or government agencies, you must follow the general rules: the document must be drawn up in dry, literate language, a detailed description of the problem without personal characteristics and insults. If the requirements are ignored, the complaint will remain without consideration.

ADVICE! A collective complaint has greater weight in the eyes of any authority. It is better to unite with your neighbors and act together.

The complaints have the same structure.

IN ZHI

The representative of the executive branch where you can complain due to rusty water and the inaction of the management company is the Housing Inspectorate. Its employees initiate an audit of the provision of low-quality services and the activities of the management company. Based on the results, an administrative penalty may be imposed.

Applications, complaints, claims to government agencies are written according to the following model:

1. The hat contains the name of the addressee and full name, addresses of the victims.
2. Below is the name of the document - complaint or claim.
3. The main part contains a detailed description of the problem. It is necessary to indicate how long the rusty water has been flowing, and what the residents have done to correct the situation.
4. It is reported that residents will continue to assert their rights if they do not receive assistance at this level.
5. Next, the date of compilation and signature of the participants with transcripts is indicated.
6. Attachments to the complaint - copies of certificates of ownership, certificates of absence of mortgage on rent, photo, video materials, acts of utility services, examination results, previous correspondence.

IMPORTANT! You cannot submit an anonymous complaint.

To Rospotrebnadzor

This is a government body that was created to combat unscrupulous utility companies and other executors of contracts. The problem of water quality is also relevant because it threatens a residential building with poor sanitary conditions.

Based on the complaint, an unscheduled inspection will be organized; inspectors, after analyzing the activities of the management company and water samples, will issue an order to eliminate violations and issue a fine.

If attempts to reach an agreement with the Criminal Code are unsuccessful, and the instructions of the authorities do not apply, you need to go to the prosecutor's office.

To the prosecutor's office

This is a supervisory authority to which you can complain about any violations of citizens’ rights and legislation, including in the field of housing and communal services. The specificity of the activity is that the prosecutor will consider the application only after it has been passed through all previous authorities.

After checking the quality of the work of the Criminal Code and issuing an order to eliminate violations, officials will evaluate the inaction of government officials.

The result of the prosecutor's inspection is an order and an administrative penalty.

Where and how to complain about bad water?

If the water is clearly of poor quality: for example, rusty, cloudy or has an obvious unpleasant odor, the first step is to file a complaint with the local management company. If the management company does nothing to fix the problem or ignores the complaints, the next step is the resource supply organization, for example, in Moscow it is Mosvodokanal. The organization must not only try to eliminate the problem, but also conduct a study of the drinking water and determine the cause of the contamination. If the water utility ignored the complaint or was unable to solve the problem, you should contact Rospotrebnadzor directly.

To make a formal request, you need to collect evidence and file a complaint. Evidence primarily includes photos and videos confirming that contaminated water is flowing from the tap, as well as evidence confirming the presence of an unpleasant odor. The application can be accompanied by the results of a water analysis (if one was carried out), an agreement with the management company and paid receipts for water. A single sample of the complaint itself has not been established; it can be written in free form. It is imperative to indicate the reason for the request and specific cases when contaminated or rusty water came from the tap. A citizen also has the right to demand compensation for moral damage, the cost of damaged property (if the property was damaged) and reimbursement of money spent on the purchase of bottled water.