New Russia legal requirements for wastewater treatment quality

Order No. 296 of the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries dated May 26, 2025, «On Approval of Water Quality Standards for Water Bodies of Fishery Importance, Including Standards for Maximum Permissible Concentrations of Pollutants in Water Bodies of Fishery Importance,» entered into force on September 1, 2025, and remains in effect until September 1, 2031.
This new order replaces Order No. 552 of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation dated December 13, 2016.

For water bodies of fishery importance, the order defines:
— water quality standards established for physical, chemical, and biological parameters that are not maximum permissible concentrations of specific pollutants;
— standards for maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants that do not adversely affect aquatic biological resources and their habitats, determined based on laboratory testing;
— standards for maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants that are established in cases where actual concentrations deviate from fishery standards due to natural factors characteristic of a specific river basin or water body.

* Photo illustrations from open sources