OREANDA-NEWS. February 18, 2011. A large artificial reservoir was put into operation in Ak Bugday settlement near Ashgabat. This water storage for the wastewater treatment works of the Gundagar drinking water plant is another facility built in the framework of the water management programme.

The new man-made lake with the capacity of one billion cubic metres and the water-surface area of 250,000 square metres is designed for water storage, desilting and self-purification that enable to achieve water clarity. Water is supplied from the Karakum River via the 240-m supply canal to the artificial reservoir where it is desilted and purified and then supplied via the one-km discharge canal to the water receiving point from where it is supplied to the drinking water plant. Water is treated at the plant and then supplied to the distribution water supply network. The project is implemented at the request of Ashgabat Khyakimlik.

Along with its practical functionality, the water reservoir is an element of the natural landscape of a picturesque valley. The territory adjacent to the lake is planted with trees and shrubs and illuminated. An operation road is laid nearby.

Efficient water management and uninterrupted supply of water to local population are regarded in Turkmenistan as a state policy priority and a key factor for increasing the quality and standards of citizens and social and economic progress of the country that has been put into practice through implementation of a number of large-scale projects, such as construction of water treatment plats, storage reservoirs and other facilities.

The General Programme for Drinking Water Supply initiated by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is to intensify and expand the ongoing activity in the domestic water industry. The state commission consisting of leading specialists of the ministries and sectoral departments and the Ashgabat Khyakimlik was established to develop the Programme.

An important aspect of the Programme is to ensure efficient water management due to wide introduction of the state-of-the-art water saving technologies, which. In its turn, is closely related to preservation of ecological wellbeing and environment protection, which are particularly urgent in the modern world. As is known, Turkmenistan occupies an active position in development of international cooperation in this essential sphere supporting the search of balanced mutually acceptable solution of the problems of sustainable development including water use problems.

According to specialists of the Gundogar plant, putting this water treatment facility into operation will enable to improve drinking water supply to citizens of Ashgabat.