Urban water supply in Western Siberia during the Great Patriotic War

The article is concerned with urban water supply in Western Siberia during the Great Patriotic War. It was necessary to have a well-developed water supply and sewerage system for seamless operation of defense plants, and to provide good living conditions of population, whose size increased in consequence of evacuations and labor mobilization. It became one of the main problems for cities and towns in Western Siberia during the Great Patriotic War. Water supply systems in big cities of Western Siberia were constructed before the War and did not get over the water load in the time of war. This was because of the increase of water use, the growth of urban population, putting in operation of new plants and hospitals with big water consumption. Generally, a big number of water supply shortage occurred during the continuance of the war in cities of Western Siberia. The most common cause was overloading, electricity failures, frost and shortage of skilled workforce. Meanwhile, skilled workforce and financial expenses were required to reconstruct the water supply system. The problem also was water purifying, because there was lack of chlorine and coagulants. Consequently, it was necessary to look for a simplified technology of water purifying with production of chemicals locally. The problem with the water supply could be solved during the War by various means: repair of outdated equipment, building of additional water intakes and drilling of artesian wells, rigging of water-supply points, etc. The problem with the water supply was urgent over the time of the War. A lot of big plants had to build their own water-intakes. It was hard enough. There was a lack of technical equipment and of simple machines. A large amount of work was done by hand with spades, crowbars and others expedient means. The situation got complicated, because many professionals were called up for military service and instead of them women and teenagers without skills had to do the work. But the situation got better and water distribution to plants increased. Obviously, authorities and community services tried to solve the problem with the water supply by defense enterprises and socially significant facilities. There were wells, water columns, water intake stations for civilian population, but all the means could not satisfy increased requirements. Consequently, the water supply system in cities of Western Siberia could not meet the requirements. It happened because the water and wastewater treatment plant worked for defense needs like other plants. Most part of the water went to military plants, hospitals, military institutions: military schools and military enlistment offices. It led to the absence of purified water, which conformed to the safe standards for drinking water, for the population and fostered the spread of virus diseases and epidemiological problems in broad terms.

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