‘It reeks, pardon me, of shit’: A Siberian city spent two weeks with sewage-smelling tap water while officials insisted that it was safe

Prolonged flooding along the Tura River in Siberia left the city of Tyumen with contaminated tap water for two weeks. The supply was visibly discolored, reeked of sewage, and residents reported it unsuitable for drinking, cooking, or washing. Meduza reports that local authorities insisted the water was safe, only acknowledging it failed standards for taste and smell. On July twenty-eighth, the regional governor declared a state of emergency as residents turned to bottled water, filters, and private wells, while doctors began seeing a surge in skin reactions and other illnesses. Officials say water from underground sources should gradually replace the contaminated river supply, though that transition remains incomplete.

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