Sochi black: how a seaside resort is being ruined by uncleaned sewage
Eyewitnesses found an uncleaned sewage drain into the Black Sea in the Lazarevsky district of Sochi, and dead jellyfish, a dead dolphin and obvious pollution in the sea waters next to it. Unfortunately, such discharges on the Black Sea coast are still not uncommon. At the same time, there is not much information about the scale of the problems — there are no open statistics on this subject. The problem of untreated and unauthorized wastewater is considered by scientists as one of the key factors of degradation of aquatic ecosystems and sanitary risks. About why it is not possible to cope with untreated wastewater in the Black Sea — in the material of Izvestia.
What is the threat of pollution of the Black Sea
Ecologist Georgy Kavanosyan posted a video with the consequences of draining sewage into the Black Sea on his social networks. The footage was transmitted by a local resident. There are a lot of dead jellyfish in the water, you can see, apparently, toilet paper and waste products. It is also claimed that there was a "dead dolphin nearby, which was quickly removed."
The exact coordinates of the drain are also indicated.: Godlikh river, Lazarevsky district. There are guest and residential buildings near the specified point and upstream of the river. The beach is probably quite popular, especially since you can get close to it by car.
Izvestia sent a request to the Southern Interregional Directorate of Rosprirodnadzor, the Prosecutor's office of the Krasnodar Territory and the Sochi administration. No responses had been received at the time of publication.
There are several levels of responsibility for the disposal of untreated waste, explained Natalia Belyaeva, General Director of the Delphi Legal expert Bureau, member of the Scientific and Technical Council of Rosprirodnadzor. This may be an administrative fine for violating the rules of water use (up to 1 thousand rubles for citizens, for officials — up to 20 thousand, for legal entities — up to 100 thousand rubles), as well as for violating the requirements for the protection of water bodies, which may lead to their pollution (3 thousand, 80 thousand and 300 thousand rubles respectively).
— If the discharge has caused real harm, for example, significant damage to aquatic biological resources, criminal liability is imposed under Article 250 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In Sochi, cases were recorded when the damage from prolonged dumping of untreated wastewater was estimated at hundreds of millions of rubles: the Psakha River — at 593 million, the Asha River — at 83.9 million. In both cases, Rosprirodnadzor appealed to the court to recover this amount," the expert told Izvestia.
The bans are the same for all water bodies, but for the Black Sea and the rivers flowing into it, there are increased fees for calculating damage to aquatic biological resources — therefore, the total amounts of claims may be significantly higher.
How common is the problem
Statistics on such cases are not published, and some experts contacted by Izvestia refused to comment on the topic. The regular nature of the problem, according to Natalia Belyaeva, can be judged by media reports. In Sochi, for example, for almost two months (from February 16 to April 5, 2024), cases of prolonged discharges into the Psakh River were recorded.
At the same time, local agencies and authorities rarely and fragmentarily disclose data on illegal discharges. Thanks to the publication of the Municipal Unitary Enterprise Vodokanal of Sochi, it is known that 120 cases of illegal discharges were detected in seven months of 2024. Moreover, the Lazarevsky district turned out to be the most "law—abiding" - then only 10 facts of illegal dumping were recorded there. Based on this, it can be assumed that the number of illegal discharges is decreasing.: Back in 2019, 500 cases of wastewater discharge into the sea were detected in 12 months.
Izvestia sent a request to the Sochi Vodokanal, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
Vadim Petrov, Deputy Director of the Unified Scientific Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian All-Russian Research Institute of Ecology, Chairman of the Public Council at Roshydromet, in a conversation with the editorial board, pointed to the data from the yearbook of marine water quality for 2024 of the N.N. Zubov State Oceanographic Institute. It follows from it that the Adler-Sochi area in 2024 had a value of 0.49 according to the water pollution index and belonged to class II — "clean". At the same time, "continued improvement of the hydrochemical assessment of the area" was noted.
— This is an important fact, but it cannot be used as an argument "there is no problem". The water pollution index is an average hydrochemical characteristic, and not a substitute for a sanitary and epidemiological investigation of a specific sewage discharge near the shore. According to the same set of GOIN data, it is clear that the sensitivity to biogenic substances remains along the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus," the expert noted.
If the average concentrations of phosphates in a number of areas decreased in 2024, the maximum values continued to grow, he noted. That is, although the overall picture of hydrochemical pollution is not catastrophic, local sewage discharges remain. And given the geographical location of Greater Sochi, discharge from a pipe, storm drain, or small river can quickly get into the bathing area.
The expert added that the problem is not unique — such illegal flows are found throughout the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory. However, it is especially pronounced in Greater Sochi due to the tourist load, dense buildings, mountainous terrain, etc.
Vadim Petrov also stressed that the video suggests a high probability of faecal contamination, but laboratory samples are needed for a correct conclusion.
"The sea may look relatively safe according to average hydrochemical data, but one illegal release after rain or during peak season can create a short—term fecal plume that is dangerous for swimmers," he warned.
How dangerous is sewage pollution in the Black Sea
There is no comprehensive data assessing the severity of the negative impact of sewage on the ecology and cleanliness of the Black Sea, said Elena Sharoikina, Chairman of the National Committee of the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.
— Compared to industrial wastewater, they seem to be less dangerous. Nevertheless, their entry into the sea can provoke rapid blooming of water due to the rapid growth of algae, which leads to limited access to oxygen for marine life, as well as create risks of toxic poisoning of marine fauna and flora with heavy metals and chemicals, which are also found in excess in sewage, she added.
Vadim Petrov explained that uncleaned household sewage is dangerous for several reasons at once. Firstly, it carries bacteria, viruses and protozoa that can cause intestinal infections. Secondly, this pollution worsens the condition of bottom communities. Thirdly, nitrogen and phosphorus contribute to eutrophication, blooming of water and degradation of coastal ecosystems. Fourthly, microplastics, surfactants, remnants of medicines and household chemicals get into the water.
— The WHO international practice proceeds from a simple logic: a beach is safe not when a good sample is obtained once, but when all sources of pollution are known, a warning system works after rains and accidents, sampling points are representative, and data is available to the public. This should become a mandatory standard for Sochi and other resorts on the Black Sea coast," the expert emphasized.
At the same time, he called incorrect the statement that sewage is the main cause of rotavirus infections among vacationers in Sochi: this is just one of the risk factors.
Domestic wastewater, illegal tapping, storm drains and small rivers, according to him, can create a local sanitary problem near the beaches in the resort area. But globally, for the Black Sea, it is part of a broader problem of eutrophication and land—based pollution. One release, of course, will not have any significant impact on the state of the sea, but it can actually worsen the water quality at a particular beach, river mouth or bay.
Back in 2022, Dutch scientists conducted a simulation of future pollution trends in rivers flowing into the Black Sea. The study argued that wastewater turns out to be one of the main anthropogenic sources, especially in densely populated areas, and models show that without additional measures, pollution will increase in more than half of the rivers of the Black Sea basin by 2050.
Why is the problem still unresolved?
The problem is recognized at the federal level: the Russian Water project provides for the construction and reconstruction of wastewater treatment plants, and major infrastructure plans have been announced separately for the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory.
— In 2025, it was reported about the construction of 17 sewage treatment plants on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory with the start of work in 2026 and an estimated cost of about 91 billion rubles. The objects belong to Sochi, Anapa, Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik and Tuapse municipal district. In parallel, there was a broader program for 22 sewage infrastructure facilities — sewage treatment plants, collectors and deep—water discharge — in 11 settlements," Vadim Petrov said.
He explained the very existence of problems with the so-called infrastructure debt: the networks are outdated, they have insufficient capacity, the collectors are worn out, and the sewage treatment plants do not always have sufficient capacity. In addition, there is seasonal congestion: during peak months, the actual resort population sharply exceeds the permanent population. Another reason is the illegal tapping of the private sector, hotels, cafes, retail facilities and temporary infrastructure.
— The fourth problem is the mixing of storm water and domestic wastewater, when after rains, not just rainwater gets into the sea, but a mixture of storm water, sewage and pollution from urban areas, — the expert added. — The fifth is the lack of transparency of monitoring: society usually sees the consequences, but does not see in real time where the issue is, whose it is, what samples were taken and who is responsible for the elimination.
Natalia Belyaeva clarified that there is also a problem of ownerless sewage systems in the region — some pipes simply do not have an owner. As a result, it is extremely difficult to find the person responsible and prove his guilt during an emergency reset.
— In order to bring someone to justice, it is necessary not only to record the fact of dumping, but also to prove a direct causal relationship between the actions of a particular person and the harm that has occurred. Dumping can be a one-time event, occur at night, and the consequences for the ecosystem do not appear immediately. This requires prompt field trips, laboratory tests and significant resources," explained the editorial interlocutor.
Vadim Petrov stated that effective work will only be if the problem is solved on several levels. The first is urgent measures to conduct a sanitary investigation of each suspicious release. The second level is the monitoring of beaches according to the risk model.
— In Sochi and along the entire coast, a system is needed in which, after heavy rains, accidents on the nets or the detection of a fecal plume, a temporary warning is introduced for swimmers, and the planned test result is not expected, — the expert explained.
The third level of solving the problem is digital transparency: citizens should be able to see information about all releases, sample statuses, accidents, the elimination of illegal tie—ins and the operation of sewage treatment plants.
The fourth is the reconstruction of wastewater treatment plants based on the principle of achieving results, rather than using funds. One of the common mistakes is the construction of an object without ensuring its operation. Contracts for the Black Sea coast should include not only the commissioning of facilities, but also guaranteed cleaning parameters, operational KPIs, fines for excess, independent audit and public data, the Izvestia interlocutor noted.
The fifth level is an independent regulatory rating of water utilities and sewage treatment plants. And the sixth is nature—oriented solutions. Storm water problems cannot be eliminated by pipes alone: cities need wetlands, rain gardens, permeable coverings, storage ponds, restored floodplains and coastal buffers.
Finally, the seventh level is the revival of ecosystems, but only after the cessation of pollution. It is impossible to "compensate" for sewage discharge by planting trees or beautifying the embankment: first it is important to stop pollution, and only then to engage in restoration.
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