The quality of wastewater treatment in Nizhny Novgorod is checked using crayfish.

      June 17, 2026 12:12 Society At the Nizhny Novgorod aeration station, an experiment is being conducted to biotest the quality of wastewater treatment after the reconstruction of the first technological phase facilities. According to the Joint Utility Operator, the commissioning works for the biological wastewater treatment processes at the site are nearing completion. According to the company, the facilities of the first phase are already ensuring that discharges are treated to design specifications. In addition to laboratory control, specialists decided to check the quality of the treated water using river crayfish. They were placed in a special box in the secondary settling tanks, where they have been under the supervision of station staff for about a month. According to Elmurod Rasulmukhamedov, the executive director of the Russian Ecological Movement and a member of the public council under the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, crayfish from the Volga were used for the experiment. This allows for an assessment of how well the treated water corresponds to their natural habitat. Svetlana Maskaleva, the general director of the contracting organization performing the commissioning works for biological treatment at the station, noted that the main result of the commissioning is the quality of wastewater treatment at the outlet of the reconstructed secondary settling tanks. According to her, the experiment so far confirms the stability of the treatment system. "If there were failures in pollution levels, the crayfish would not have survived for such a long period," said Svetlana Maskaleva, adding that discharges into the Volga are in accordance with established indicators. It was previously reported that the second phase of the reconstruction of the Nizhny Novgorod aeration station will be completed by 2030. The reconstruction project has recently passed state expertise. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+