Represented by the eastern part of the Baltic Sea - the Gulf of Finland, Ladoga and Onega lakes, natural and artificial reservoirs, rivers, canals and swamps. More than 13% of the region's territory, excluding the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga, is occupied by water bodies and 14% of the region's territory is occupied by swamps.
The largest value of the area occupied by the water surface is typical for Priozersky (14%), Vyborgsky (7%) and Slantsevsky (6%) districts, and the smallest (0.6%) in Volosovsky and Tosnensky districts.
The largest water body in the region is. The Gulf of Finland occupies 7% of the area of ​​the Baltic Sea. Main characteristics of the bay: drainage basin - 421 thousand km2, water inflow - 109 km3 per year, bay area 29.5 thousand km2, average depth - 38 m, maximum depth 115 m, water volume - 1.125 thousand km3, salinity - 3.5%, the predominant direction of currents in the surface layer is counterclockwise, the share of the Neva River from the total flow along the rivers is 70%. The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is called the Neva Bay. To the north is the Vyborg Bay, Koporskaya, Luga Bay and Narva Bay run into the southern coast.
The main rivers of the basin of the Gulf of Finland, the Neva River, flowing from Lake Ladoga, the Luga River, flows into the territory of the Leningrad Region from Novgorod region, and the Plyussa river flows from the Pskov region, the mouth section passes through the Slantsevsky district of the Leningrad region and flows into the Narva reservoir.
The basin is a complex system that includes the watersheds of lakes Onega, Ilmen and Saimaa (Finland). It fully or partially includes the territories of the Republic of Karelia, Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov, Vologda regions.
The catchment area is 280 thousand square meters. km. The area of ​​Lake Ladoga is 17,700 sq. km (with islands 18135 sq. km). The average length of the lake is 219 km, the average width is 83 km, the average depth is 51 m (the maximum is 230 m west of Valaam Island). The length of the coastline of the lake is 1870 km. 32 rivers, more than 10 km long, flow directly into Lake Ladoga, and only one river flows out - the Neva. The largest rivers flowing into Lake Ladoga include the Svir River flowing from Lake Onega, the Vuoksa River originating in Finland, the Volkhov River flowing from Lake Ilmen, the Syas River and others.
Lake Ladoga washes the territory of five districts - Volkhovsky (the length of the coastline is 159 km), Priozersky (132 km), Kirovsky (102 km), Vsevolozhsky (87 km), Lodeynopolsky (24 km).
The catchment area of ​​Lake Onega is 63 thousand square meters. km. The area of ​​the lake without islands is 9720 sq. km, length - 247 km, average width - 40 km, average depth - 31 m. Lake Onega washes. The length of the coastline within the boundaries of the region is 38 km.
More than 25 thousand rivers and streams with a total length of more than 50 thousand km flow through the region. Of these, about 90% are small streams with a length of less than 10 km. The largest rivers in the region are the Neva, Vuoksa, Svir with tributaries Oyat and Pasha, Volkhov, Luga and Narva with Plyussa. The river network is relatively evenly distributed over the territory, with the exception of the Izhora plateau. The density of the river network is on average 0.6 km per sq. km. km.
There are more than 41,600 lakes on the territory of the region, which are extremely unevenly distributed throughout the territory. Most of the lakes are concentrated in the north of the Karelian Isthmus (Vyborgsky and Priozersky districts) and in the northeast (Podporozhsky district), the smallest number of lakes is in the Volosovsky district. Small lakes with a surface area of ​​less than 1 sq. km and a depth of 2 m predominate among the lakes. ) and in the Luga region (Vyalye-Ostrechno, Samro, Vrevo, Cheremenetskoye,
Syabero).
On the territory there are six large reservoirs Narva, Nizhnesvirskoe, Verkhnesvirskoe, Volkhovskoe, Luga, Nizhne-Oredezhskoe, with a useful volume of about 0.45 km3. The largest is the Verkhnesvirskoe reservoir with a surface area of ​​230 km2, followed by the Narva reservoir - 191 km2. In addition to those listed, there are a number of small reservoirs on the rivers Sista, Suma, Okhta, Oredezh, Izhora, Tikhvinka, and others.
There are five navigable canals on the territory of the region: Saimaa, Staroladozhsky, Novoladozhsky, Onega, Tikhvinsky, with a total length of more than 400 km. At present, there are three channels - Saimaa, Novoladozhsky and Onega. The Saimaa Canal connects the Saimaa lake system in the area of ​​the Finnish city of Lappeenranta with the Baltic Sea near the city of Vyborg. The Novoladozhsky and Onega canals are part of the Volga-Baltic waterway. The Staraya Ladoga and Tikhvin Canals are currently not in use.
In St. Petersburg and in the territories administratively subordinated to the city administration, there are 106 reservoirs with an area of ​​more than 1 ha. The total surface area of ​​these reservoirs is about 2087 ha. Most of the reservoirs are of artificial origin. The northern part of the city and the northern coast of the Neva Bay (including Sestroretsk) are characterized by the largest number of lakes. There are more than 20 reservoirs with a total area of ​​1300 hectares.
Water resources, along with forest reserves, are the main wealth of the region. The river network in the region is dense, almost all rivers belong to the Baltic Sea basin. The largest rivers - the Neva, Volkhov, Svir, Vuoksa, Narva, Syas, Luga - have significant water resources and are used for navigation and timber rafting. There are 25109 rivers and streams flowing on the territory, including 19 rivers over 100 km long. All these water bodies are of fishery importance. On their catchment areas there are (without) 41579 lakes with a mirror area of ​​21833.25 sq. km, including those of fishery importance - 825 lakes, with a surface area of ​​1391.52 sq. km. River transport is of great importance for the region. The total length of navigable river and lake routes is about 2000 km. The main role is played by the Volga-Baltic waterway; communication with the White Sea is carried out through the White Sea-Baltic Canal; The Saimaa Canal has been operating since 1968. River ports in the region are located in Petrokrepost, Sviritsa, Voznesenye, Podporozhye, Lodeynoye Pole. The commercial sea port is located in the city of Vyborg.

The water bodies of St. Petersburg are represented by the eastern part of the Baltic Sea - the Gulf of Finland, the Neva River and its tributaries, natural and artificial reservoirs, rivers, canals and swamps.

The main water artery of the city is the river. Neva, which originates from Lake Ladoga. Its length is 78 km, total area catchment - 281 thousand km 2, the average long-term water flow in the river. Neve - 2520 m 3 / sec. In the upper reaches, the river flows through the territory Leningrad region, 44 km from the mouth it crosses the city limits and then flows throughout the entire length of the territory of St. Petersburg.

In total, 64 rivers, 48 ​​canals, 34 streams flow within the city and in the territories administratively subordinate to it, with a total length of 555.5 km, including 40 rivers, branches, channels and canals with a total length of 217.5 km directly within the city. km.

The predicted groundwater resources in the territory of St. Petersburg are 389.2 thousand m 3 /day, of which 80% are with mineralization up to 1 g/l. The forecast resources module is 3.1 l/s km2. 109.1 thousand m 3 / day prepared for industrial development.

The volume of wastewater discharge into the city's water bodies in 2001 amounted to 1.3 km3, of which 95% is polluted wastewater. In terms of the volume of polluted wastewater, St. Petersburg ranks second among the constituent entities of the Federation - it accounts for 6% of the total Russian volume of wastewater discharges of this category.

The main "supplier" of polluted wastewater is the housing and communal services, from whose treatment facilities 1115.15 million m 3 or 90% of the city's discharge volume is discharged.

Impact on environment in 2004
Water consumption and sanitation
Index			million m 3	The main sources of pollution of water bodies (million m 3) State Unitary Enterprise “Vodokanal St. Petersburg” (789.63); CHPP-15 (44.69); Pervomaiskaya CHPP (40.87); CHPP-2 (21.28); as well as ONPO "Plastpolimer"; SE “Obukhov Plant”; JSC Shipyard Severnaya Verf
Water used, total
The volume of recycled and re-sequentially used water
Saving fresh water, %
Discharged into surface waters
including:
contaminated wastewater
of them without cleaning
legally clean
legally cleared
Share of polluted wastewater in total wastewater discharge into water bodies, %

The condition of the water resources of the Leningrad Region worries many. Both the inhabitants of this vast and populous region, and the townspeople who have country houses, are concerned about the quality of water in wells and wells, rivers and lakes. How justified is this concern? Let's try to figure it out.

Concern is caused not only by the state of water in centralized water supply systems, but also in wells and boreholes. Representatives of the regional SES confirm that the quality of water in reservoirs has deteriorated, and significant wear and tear of treatment facilities does not add optimism. If we talk about private traders who have wells and wells for water, they will also have to worry about organizing a water treatment system.

The most common type of pollution is wastewater discharged into open water bodies, drainage ditches and seepage wells. Rivers, lakes and The groundwater. Moreover, these waters are discharged not only into water bodies, but also into reclamation ditches, into filtration fields and simply into open areas, which leads to pollution of both surface and groundwater. There are other factors, in particular, 16 landfills and 217 dumps of household, industrial and construction waste located in the region.

In addition, there are 15 sludge collectors, 6 ash dumps and 27 other storage facilities for various industrial wastes in the closed territories of the enterprises. There are two facilities for underground disposal of industrial waste in the region: State Unitary Enterprise "Krasny Bor Polygon" and burial grounds for radioactive waste of the pilot plant of the RRC "Applied Chemistry". And if we also take into account the warehouses of mineral fertilizers, manure and dung storage, which sometimes breaks through, as a couple of years ago near Gatchina, then the picture is completely gloomy.

If you believe the deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Leningrad Region, then the alarm is quite natural. Representatives of the permanent commission under this authoritative body argue that the quality of water used by the inhabitants of the region leaves much to be desired. A regional SES analysis conducted several years ago showed that about 12% of water samples do not meet microbiological standards, about 20% - sanitary and chemical standards. Among the reasons named are the general deterioration of water quality in the reservoirs of the Leningrad Region, as well as the severe wear and tear of water intake and treatment facilities in the region (up to 60%).

Of course, in this regard, our region is not very different from others: according to the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, over 65% of the population Russian Federation forced to consume poor-quality drinking water. But for some reason it doesn't calm me down. According to studies by ecologists and sanitary doctors, the most polluted natural water comes from surface sources: lakes, rivers, wells. But water from wells often does not meet the requirements of SanPiN 2.2.4.1175-02 " Drinking water and water supply to populated areas. Hygiene requirements to the quality of non-centralized water supply. Sanitary protection of sources” and SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01 “Drinking water. Hygienic requirements for water quality of centralized drinking water supply systems. Quality control". There are many reasons for this, first of all, it is the intensive use of water bodies for water supply, wastewater intake, energy needs, shipping, fishing, mining, recreation on the water, etc. (To be continued ...)

Among the water bodies of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, it is, of course, worth highlighting the Gulf of Finland, Ladoga and Onega lakes in the first place. There are also many artificial reservoirs, rivers, canals and other water sources. The largest water surface area is located in the Priozersky, Vyborgsky and Slantsevsky districts (14%, 7% and 6%, respectively).

The beautiful Gulf of Finland, in turn, makes up 7% of the entire area of ​​the Baltic Sea. The drainage basin of the Gulf of Finland has an area of ​​421 thousand km2, the area of ​​the bay is 29.5 thousand km2, and its average depth is 38 m. The Gulf of Finland is quite deep, and its maximum depth is 115 m. the main river of St. Petersburg - the Neva, being in the basin of the Gulf of Finland,another river, the Luga, has its source in the Novgorod region, and the Plyussa river flows into the Leningrad region from the Pskov region, flowing into the Narva reservoir, tasty water in Pskov is not uncommon. 32 rivers flow into Lake Ladoga, from which the Neva originates. Some of the largest are the Svir River, which flows from Lake Onega and the Vuoksa River, which carries its water flows from Finland. Other major rivers are the Volkhov, which originates in Lake Ilmen, and the Syas River. Each of the many rivers is picturesque in its own way and has its own long history. In order to enjoy the taste of pure water, however, now there is a delivery in Pskov (in the region of which Plyussa begins), water delivery in St. Petersburg - good way get water to the office or enterprise.

In St. Petersburg, in the lineThe city itself has at least 93 rivers, a large number of long natural and artificial canals. Walking along the rivers and canals of the city is one of the most beautiful types of recreation, as well as ways to get to know St. Petersburg.

Among the lakes of St. Petersburg, it should be noted Suzdal, located in the Vyborg district, not far from the pine forest, it is interesting that in Soviet times athletes involved in water slalom trained here. The Olginsky Pond is also curious - one of the city's reservoirs, small in size, but gathering a lot of vacationers in the summer due to the fact that it is located close to residential areas. However, the pond is somewhat overgrown with plants, and the path to it is blocked by a rather steep slope. It is impossible not to mention in connection with the water resources of St. Petersburg the Fontanka River, which runs through the very center of the city. Many picturesque bridges are thrown across the Fontanka, such as the Lomonosov and Izmailovsky bridges. In the center of the city is the Griboyedov Canal, which crosses many highways.

If you believe the deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Leningrad Region, then the alarm is quite natural. Representatives of the permanent commission under this authoritative body argue that the quality of water used by the inhabitants of the region leaves much to be desired. A regional SES analysis conducted several years ago showed that about 12% of water samples do not meet microbiological standards, about 20% - sanitary and chemical standards. Among the reasons named are the general deterioration of water quality in the reservoirs of the Leningrad Region, as well as the severe wear and tear of water intake and treatment facilities in the region (up to 60%).

Of course, in this regard, our region is not very different from others: according to the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, over 65% of the population of the Russian Federation are forced to consume poor-quality drinking water. But for some reason it doesn't calm me down. According to studies by ecologists and sanitary doctors, the most polluted natural water comes from surface sources: lakes, rivers, wells. But water from artesian wells often does not meet the requirements of SanPiN 2.2.4.1175-02 “Drinking water and water supply to populated areas. Hygienic requirements for the quality of non-centralized water supply. Sanitary protection of sources” and SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01 “Drinking water. Hygienic requirements for water quality of centralized drinking water supply systems. Quality control". There are many reasons for this, first of all, it is the intensive use of water bodies for water supply, wastewater intake, energy needs, shipping, fishing, mining, water recreation, etc.

Note

One of the sources of pollutants entering water bodies is sewage. Moreover, these waters are discharged not only into water bodies, but also into reclamation ditches, into filtration fields and simply into open areas, which leads to pollution of both surface and groundwater. There are other factors, in particular, 16 landfills and 217 dumps of household, industrial and construction waste located in the region.

In addition, there are 15 sludge collectors, 6 ash dumps and 27 other storage facilities for various industrial wastes in the closed territories of the enterprises. There are two facilities for underground disposal of industrial waste in the region: State Unitary Enterprise "Krasny Bor Polygon" and burial grounds for radioactive waste of the pilot plant of the RRC "Applied Chemistry". And if we also take into account the warehouses of mineral fertilizers, manure and dung storage, which sometimes breaks through, as a couple of years ago near Gatchina, then the picture is completely gloomy.

Exit - underground?

Despite this state of affairs, many believe that groundwater is much cleaner than surface water, is not contaminated by anything, and therefore can be used for drinking and household needs. If you look at any advertisement for a cottage settlement, then among the characteristics there will certainly be autonomous water supply from a well. Sometimes they indicate the depth of the well, but in most cases this is not difficult, relying on the fact that the potential acquirer of the site is already convinced of the purity of the source. They say that water is not taken from the Neva and not from the Gulf of Finland!

Let's see how true these promises are. The Leningrad region, it must be said, has a considerable resource of groundwater. But, firstly, only 37% of the volume of water consumed is taken from these sources. Secondly, their ideal state is a myth that can do a lot of harm.

Let's evaluate the quality of underground water resources of the Leningrad region, based on the data of specialists. This water, as a rule, is quite hard, enriched with iron and manganese. More than 60% of the springs are characterized by a high content of hydrogen sulfide, and water from shallow wells (up to 50 m) most often contains man-made pollution - inorganic, organic and microbiological. Groundwater contains many microorganisms, and some of them can cause severe diseases such as hepatitis or gastroenteritis in humans. The consequences of drinking water with chemical contamination can only appear after a few years.

The composition of groundwater is determined by the aquifer, by the path water takes before reaching the consumer. Water dissolves the surrounding rocks. In addition, with a shallow occurrence, "underground rivers" are poorly protected from surface pollution. Experience shows that water from wells with a depth of less than 100 m in the northern and western regions of the Leningrad region (Kurortnoy, Vyborgsky, Vsevolozhsky) is ferruginous. In deeper wells in the same areas, high salinity (salt water) and excess fluorine content are observed. Water from wells in the southern regions (Gatchinsky, Lomonosovsky, Tosnensky) is usually characterized by increased hardness. A common problem for all regions is the contamination of water from wells and shallow wells with nitrates, herbicides, pesticides, oil products, and heavy metals.

underground horizons

In order to have an idea of ​​where exactly water comes from, one should turn to the data of geology and brush up on the history of the Earth. That is, to remember that there were, for example, the Quaternary period, as well as more ancient geological epochs buried in the bowels of the lithosphere. Sometimes aquifers are named according to geological periods, sometimes differently, but the depth of the formation to which the well is drilled is primarily important.

Note

Groundwater of the Leningrad region is represented by two large groups: waters occurring in young (Quaternary) rocks, and waters containing ancient deposits.

Quaternary waters are ubiquitous and lie close to the surface of the earth. The disadvantages of these waters are the strong variability of quality over the area and the small thickness of aquifers. In addition, they are poorly protected from surface pollution - this problem is especially relevant in areas with intensive economic activity. That is why in the waters of the Quaternary deposits in the Leningrad region, the excess of the norms for the content of nitrogen compounds, oil products and heavy metals, as well as bacteriological pollution, is often noted.

An exception in this regard is the so-called intermorainic aquifers - relatively extended sandy layers between loam layers. Such horizons are distributed mainly in the northern part of the region, on the Karelian Isthmus, at depths up to 100 m. They are characterized by a pressure regime, that is, the water level in the wells is set above the top of the horizon. Intermorainic waters, as a rule, are not polluted with human waste products, their lack is only an increased content of iron and manganese.

The waters of ancient deposits are also distributed throughout the territory of the Leningrad region. They lie deeper than the Quaternary waters, are separated from the surface by a thick layer of rocks and are pressure, which provides them with reliable protection from surface pollution. Several types of rocks of ancient aquifers are distinguished in our region. The operational value of the aquifer depends on the region of the region.

For example, the Gdov aquifer is well known, composed of weakly cemented sandstones. It is ubiquitous, but for domestic and drinking water supply it is used only on the Karelian Isthmus. In the southern regions of the Leningrad region, it contains salty waters and therefore is not used.

The Lomonosov horizon is widely distributed to the south and east of the Gulf of Finland and, as a rule, lies quite deep, almost under a hundred-meter thickness of blue Cambrian clays. Its operation for water supply is expedient in accessible places of shallow occurrence from the surface, that is, within a narrow strip along the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland.

Composed of solid limestones and dolomites, the Ordovician aquifer is distributed south of the Sablino-Krasnoye Selo-Lopukhinka-Koporye line, along which its waters often come to the surface in the form of springs. It is clear that limestones determine the carbonate hardness of these waters. The most intensive use of the Ordovician horizon is also in places close to the surface. Namely, within the Izhora plateau, where it is covered only by thin Quaternary deposits. However, accessibility also has a minus: in this area, the horizon waters are poorly protected from surface pollution.

South of the Izhora plateau, the Devonian aquifer is widespread. Intensive exploitation of it is carried out in the southern regions of the region, where it is distinguished by a significant thickness (about 200 m). The same high content of iron, as well as susceptibility to pollution from the surface, should be considered as negative characteristics of the waters of the Devonian deposits.

From an ecological point of view, artesian waters are recognized as the cleanest - pressure groundwater contained in an aquifer enclosed between two water-resistant layers. But, despite the maximum protection from surface contamination, they often come to the surface with unwanted "additives" due to miscalculations made during drilling and well equipment. In samples, exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations of bacteriological components, nitrogenous compounds, iron, etc. can be found. Sometimes there is also a mixing of waters of two horizons with different chemical composition. However, even if the drilling technology is followed, the artesian water in the Leningrad Region does not meet the standard of “environmentally friendly natural drinking water”. The reasons are geological, geographical and other conditions.

conclusions

Summing up the above, we have to admit that the state of water in our region almost everywhere does not correspond to sanitary standards. If we talk about the contribution of man, then the main sources of pollution of water resources are Agriculture, industrial facilities and inefficient sewerage facilities. Therefore, the authorities of the region should pay (and, it must be said, they are paying) increased attention to the problems of the region's environmental security.

But what should the owner do in such conditions? country house? What conclusion should he draw?

First of all, you need to understand that no drilling depth can guarantee the absolute purity of water. There is no need to talk about wells. Yes, in some cases it can be stated that there are no gasoline stains. And there is no microbial infection either. But do these symptoms define purity? Common sense suggests that in any case, water should be referred for analysis to the appropriate authorities and regulatory authorities. They will determine the chemical and bacteriological composition of the water, as well as give recommendations for cleaning. After that, you need to contact specialized companies that offer effective water treatment equipment. This is the only way to ensure the impeccable quality of the water consumed.