Residents of Kotovo say their communal problems are unsolvable.

In Kotovo, Volgograd Oblast, some residents have experienced prolonged outages of heating, water, and electricity, despite freezing temperatures. They say appeals to officials have been ineffective, although they report on the progress of repairs, but the problem is systemic.

As reported by "Kavkazsky Uzel," in January, residents of Kotovo reported that gas supplies were shut off in neighborhoods during severe frosts. The problem was particularly acute for residents of private homes heated by boilers. On February 10, it was reported that Kotovo residents were again experiencing interruptions in water and heating supplies, and residents believe the authorities are failing to address the problem of the deteriorating water supply network. A lawyer advised residents to contact Rospotrebnadzor and the prosecutor's office.

A "Caucasian Knot" correspondent continues to receive reports of water and heat outages and power outages in the district center of Kotovo. For example, on February 12, the entire city was cut off from power. Water and heat outages followed in most of Kotovo. According to the Unified Housing and Utilities Portal of Kotovo, an emergency outage of 110 kW power lines occurred in the district center. Emergency crews managed to restore power only after several hours. However, pumps on the Filoino-Kotovo water pipeline were unable to promptly refill the city's systems. Residents of Kotovo are spending the weekend in cold apartments and without running water. Kotovo resident Tatyana Galaktionova told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she lives in a private home in the Serino neighborhood, the one hardest hit by the utility outages. According to her, water has been out of Serino homes for six days now. Many residents of the private sector have wells in their yards. The rest either go to the spring or a distant well for water.

"The power went out again throughout the city. I personally have electric heating in my house. We're going to freeze. I'm furious. I'm fed up. How are the elderly supposed to survive? How are they supposed to cope with small children? How are they supposed to cope with bedridden patients? They wrote about the water, saying they were clearing a path to the break, but it turns out there are two. When will the water come on? The situation in the city is terrible. And there's still no power," Tatyana Galaktionova complained. She later reported that power had been restored in the neighborhood.

Anastasia Sukhoruchenko reported that on Baumanskaya and Angarskaya Streets, where the private sector is located, "there's been no water for four days."

"We've written everywhere, but to no avail. "Our town has been useless for a long time," Anastasia said.

There has been no water on the street in the Serino neighborhood where Maria lives for a week. She constantly calls the water utility's control room. There they tell her that repair crews are looking for the cause of the breakdown.

"Gas pressure is very low when it's below zero outside. And there are power outages. Yesterday there was no power for three hours, the day before yesterday there were two hours without power, I think. And, if I'm not mistaken, there was also a power outage on the 8th (for about three hours) - the whole city was out. When there is no power, the boiler pumps don't work and it gets cold. There was also an outage on February 9th. There are no official answers. So I'm not writing anything anymore. We heat with gas," the woman reported.

Maria noted that utility bills in the city have "increased significantly" since the New Year. Her children go to kindergarten. But it's warm there, since the kindergarten has its own boiler room.

"There is no schedule for water delivery. There is a number for water delivery, but I haven't called. Because I know the water is not potable. That's why we carry "from the well," Maria explained.

The radiators are freezing again, and now we can't even turn on the heater (there's no electricity). We turn on the gas and put on a large pot of water to keep from freezing.

Olesya also lives with her family in Serino. She has a young child. She reported that on February 12, information appeared on social media that repair crews had fixed the water supply failure by the evening.

"But the warmth didn't reach us all night. Around 12:00, the radiators started to warm up a little. And then the power went out, the radiators are freezing again, and now we can't even turn on the heater (there's no electricity). We turn on the gas and put on a large pot of water to keep from freezing," she said.

According to her, the neighbors Those with children also "dress in warm clothes and turn on the gas."

She noted that gas costs have increased because of this. And the bills always come the same for all utilities, without any adjustments for resources not supplied during accidents.

"Honestly, it's not clear what we're paying for, but we don't have time to go to court; we have work. And I'd really like to, because it's impossible to live; we're surviving like in the Stone Age," Olesya noted.

The interviewee also said that the Serino district "isn't cleared of snow at all." For example, on February 9, Olesya couldn't go to the center of Kotovo. She called the city utility service, but was told that "the tractor drivers are sleeping now, they'll clear it at night, but not your Serino, but the city, expect it in a few days."

"In the end, they never showed up. We cleared it ourselves. It's warm where I take my child to kindergarten. The kindergarten has its own mini-boiler room. "I don't know how it is in other buildings," Olesya concluded her story.

Anna lives with her family on the 5th floor of an apartment building located at 4 Sverdlova Street. The apartments there have also been without heat for several days.

"We can barely sleep with five-liter bottles anymore. We've had no strength left. We bought a hose (to drain the water from the radiators), but it's no use, there's always air in the radiators. The last time I called was 2-11-11, they accepted my request, even gave me a number. But they didn't even show up. How long can they mock us? It feels like we simply don't exist or that no one cares about us. Yes, in 2024, they replaced the risers, and what next? The water in the pipes is clean, you bleed the air, but in the morning they gurgle, and half the radiators are cold. That's how we exist. And the bills are sent on time. It's a real cry from the heart. And now I came home from work, and the pipes are cold, "And there's no water in the pipes. The heating's been turned off again," the outraged woman said.

The utility equipment and machinery aren't being updated. Utility breakdowns are becoming more frequent, and they're taking longer to fix.

Kotovo resident Andrey Ivanov believes that in Kotovo, "the utility disaster is escalating into collapse."

"The district and city authorities don't have the resources to fix the situation. The regional center isn't responding adequately to their requests for assistance. Our utility workers aren't receiving money, and the utility equipment and machinery aren't being updated. Utility breakdowns are becoming more frequent, and they're taking longer to fix. We're on the brink of an emergency. "Nobody's listening to us," Andrey complained.

Lawyer points out violations of Kotovo residents' rights

The Kotovo city administration posts up-to-date information on repair work on the Unified Housing and Utilities Portal.

"Work is underway to fix the leaks, without shutting down the water main yet. During an inspection of the Filino-Kotovo water main, two leaks were discovered. Damage was discovered on an old section of the pipeline 12.5 km from Kotovo (in the SPN-2 area). Specialists are currently working to resolve the problem," the portal reports.

The city administration explains that access roads are being cleared to allow heavy equipment to easily reach the site of the leak. The necessary personnel and equipment are being prepared to eliminate the leaks. Water delivery is being arranged for residents upon request during the work. The portal also reports power outage schedules for specific addresses. Lawyer Sergey Ivaschenko pointed out that the city is violating citizens' constitutional rights to comfortable housing and a safe and healthy living environment. He also cited the requirements of the Russian Federation Code of Administrative Offenses and Russian Government Resolution No. 354 of May 6, 2011, "On the Provision of Utilities to Owners and Users of Premises in Apartment and Residential Buildings," which establish the rules for providing utilities, the procedure for monitoring them, and responsibility for their quality. The lawyer, citing the Federal Law "On Water Supply and Sanitation" (No. 416-FZ), noted that providing water services to the population "especially in winter during freezing conditions" is "the direct responsibility of city and district authorities." He also cited the principles of continuity and quality of utility service provision. In the Kotovo case, we're talking about systematic and prolonged breakdowns and disconnections of residents from vital utilities. We see a clear reluctance on the part of district authorities to comply with demands on regional authorities to provide the necessary resources and material means to effectively remedy the situation. They haven't been able to cope on their own for years. All this has led to a utility disaster that could easily escalate into an emergency," said Sergei Ivaschenko.

He added that Article 314 of the Civil Code stipulates a reasonable timeframe of seven days for resolving a utility breakdown. If utility providers fail to meet this deadline, the lawyer advises affected consumers to file complaints with the housing inspectorate or the prosecutor's office.