Water Quality in the Neva River Is Now Monitored Online
The system relies on reagent-free spectrometers installed at water intake facilities.
Authorities in St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad Oblast have significantly expanded the online water-quality monitoring network for the Neva River, the primary source of drinking water for Russia’s second-largest city. The system initially covered five water intake facilities located in St. Petersburg. Another six sites in the surrounding region have now been added to the network.
The facilities are equipped with reagent-free spectrometers that operate around the clock and transmit data in real time. The devices monitor key water-quality indicators, including turbidity, color, temperature, organic carbon, nitrates, and other parameters. The system can also detect signs of unusual contamination, including benzene, phenol, toluene, and other compounds that may affect the water’s organoleptic properties, including odor.
Specialists say the expanded monitoring network marks another step toward implementing the Chistaya Ladoga (Clean Ladoga) project.
