Workers of Polotskvodokanal forced to use company's services

Managers of the company assure everything is legal and those complaining just want to save their money.

A reader of charter97.org reports about new rules at Polotskvodokanal water supply and wastewater treatment company.

“I live in Polatsk and work at Polotskvodokanal company. The company is located on the outskirts and surrounded by private houses. Most of ordinary workers live in private houses. Managers invented a new way of increasing incomes of the company. Workers were ordered to sign an agreement a month ago, under which they must use the company's service to remove wastewater. They were told it was just a formality.

Now workers are ordered to call vacuum trucks once a month to collect wastewater and sewage. The volume of wastewater must be equal to the volume of monthly water use. They remind us every day that we must solve the issue as soon as possible. They even call some workers and threaten them to call the sanitary and epidemiological service, cut water supply or sack them.

People were given a short time to solve the problem. They say people don't need to really remove wastewater. It will enough if a vacuum truck comes and just stays near your house for some time, but you must pay. Do managers have the right to press on people? How should workers behave in this situation? Can we ignore these orders? There are a lot of workers, but they are scared and don't know what to do. It's painful to see how managers tell my co-workers to call a vacuum truck. Why have they to empty cesspits every month, while most people do it twice a year? People who live in the same district but don't work at the company are not pressed yet, but it is only a matter of time,” the reader complains.

Polotskvodokanal's chief engineer Mikhail Alikhver explains to charter97.org that the situation is absolutely legal and those complaining only want to save their money.

“Don't tell me fairy tales. I live in a private house. I signed this agreement. It is legal. If a water meter shows that you use 20 cubic meters of water, you must do something with sewage and wastewater. How do you get rid of it? Just throw it outside? If it is so, it damages the ecology and violates law. In the 1960s, we didn't have sanitation systems. People just discharged sewage into ditches. It is not acceptable now. Environmental laws became stricter. Cesspits must be leak-proof. They must be emptied on a regular basis. Why did we begin with our employees? Many of our workers live in private houses. We make people install cesspits, and we draw special attention to our employees. No one said we would sack people. Our workers even have a 50% discount. Sewage is released into the municipal sanitation system and then goes to wastewater treatment plants. It complies with laws. It is absolutely legal. I understand that people want to save their money. It is not expensive, but it costs money. They prefer just to discharge sewage into a ditch. Under law, cesspits must be leak-proof,” the chief engineer said.