The Silent Threat of Untreated Wastewater

 In Armenia, Yuck Factor documentary highlights the urgent issue of wastewater treatment, with less than 1% of wastewater being treated. Many farmers are forced to irrigate crops with contaminated sewage water, putting public health and food safety at risk. The investigation also exposes the failure of the government to address this crisis, focusing on the long-term neglect of a critical wastewater treatment project in Yerevan.  

In Georgia, untreated wastewater from homes and industries continues to pollute rivers and the Black Sea. Despite efforts to build new treatment plants, only 41% of the population is connected to any treatment infrastructure. Industrial pollution, particularly from mining operations, worsens the situation, adding toxic waste to the water supply.  

Ukraine faces similar challenges, with wastewater infrastructure suffering from decades of underinvestment and war-related destruction. In conflict zones, sewage systems have been damaged, and untreated wastewater is flowing into rivers and the Black Sea, worsening environmental damage. This crisis not only affects Ukraine but also harms neighboring countries like Georgia, emphasizing the urgent need for regional cooperation to address this widespread threat.    

The journalists visited the following locations:

• Georgia: The capital, Tbilisi; the western Georgian city of Chiatura in the Imereti region; and the Black Sea city of Poti.
• Armenia: The capital, Yerevan; Norgavit district; Armavir; Ararat; and Gegharkunik regions.
• Ukraine: Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions.

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