East Kazakhstan region is one of the most water-rich regions of Kazakhstan. The water resources of the Irtysh River basin, within the Republic of Kazakhstan, are estimated to be up to 36 km3 per year. On the territory of the region there are about 100 ponds and reservoirs with a capacity of 53 km3. The three largest reservoirs (Bukhtarma, Ust-Kamenogorsk and Shulba) of the Irtysh cascade with a total capacity of 52.7 km3 have a complex purpose. Five small reservoirs (rivers: UGENE, Kanda-su Mala Ulba, Charms and Engis) the total capacity of 96.5 million m3. they belong to the enterprises of industry, energy and water management.
The Irtysh River and its tributaries are intensively used for household and drinking water supply. Due to the influence of the mining complex, local contamination of individual water bodies with heavy metals is observed. A significant factor affecting the state of surface and underground waters is historical pollution (rock dumps, tailings dumps, industrial waste storage facilities).
One of the measures to address the issue of limiting anthropogenic impact on water bodies, preserving the quantity and quality of water, protecting water bodies in the Irtysh River basin from pollution, clogging and depletion, and improving their sanitary and epidemiological condition, is the creation of water protection zones and strips along the banks of rivers and reservoirs with a special regime of economic activity on their territory.
The Akimat of the East Kazakhstan region has done a lot of work to establish water protection zones and strips along the shores of water bodies. Projects for the establishment of water protection zones and strips were developed both at the expense of the regional budget and at the expense of water user enterprises. To date, 275 resolutions of the akimat of the region have been issued. Set 4292,11 km of water protection zones (area – 204507,21 ha) and 5656,33 km water protection strips (area – 36302,57 ha) (including in the cities of Ust-Kamenogorsk, Semey, Zyryanovsk, Ridder, on the coast of the Bukhtarma, Ust-Kamenogorsk and Shulbinsk reservoirs, lakes Alakol, etc.).
The East Kazakhstan region as a whole is favourable conditions of groundwater in connection with a fairly significant amount of atmospheric precipitation and the extensive development of surface debris and fractured rock.
As part of the implementation of the action plan of the regional development program until 2020, exploratory work (hereinafter referred to as PRR) for underground water is being carried out to provide underground water reserves to rural settlements in the East Kazakhstan region. This function was transferred to the Management in 2015.
For the period from 2015 to 2019, PRR was completed in 263 villages and 13 objects of additional exploration of underground water deposits in East Kazakhstan.
In 2019, the design and estimate documentation (hereinafter-POI) for the implementation of PRR in 61 SNP and 2 objects of additional exploration was compiled.
For 2020, PRR has been initiated for 7 objects (49 SNPs and 1 additional exploration object) and a POI has been drawn up for the implementation of PRR in 16 SNPs and 3 additional exploration objects.
There are 222 hydraulic structures in the region, including:
- 123 in republican ownership, including 117-on the balance sheet of RSE " Kazvodkhoz»;
- on the balance sheet of KGP "Shygys su koymalary" - 66;
- on the balance of municipal property of mayors of cities and districts - 7;
- in private ownership-26.
In order to prevent and eliminate flood threats developed a Road map "package of measures for the prevention and elimination of flood threats for 2017-2020 years" approved by the joint order of the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan – Ministry of agriculture, Ministry of internal Affairs of the RK, RK and me RK.