Incentive based regulation of water supply under tariffs limitation

The article browses methods of natural monopolies tariff regulation, applied in Russian Federation and foreign countries for the case of water supply. Three principles for natural monopolies tariff regulation are identified: compromise, compensatory, and Incentive based regulation. One of the Incentive based regulation methods — Yardstick Cost Method — has an advantage of regulated entities labor saving within the tariff protection. The other benefit of the method is the feasibility to grade providers from most to least economic performance and to regulate the economic performance improvement for ineffective providers specifically. Benchmarking of publicly available water supply costs data turned up that the costs of physical resources, amortization and rentals depend on specific conditions of enterprise. Therefore, the water supply costs exclusive of resource cost, amortization and rentals seems to be good as an outcome variable for Yardstick Cost Method. We calculated a formula of approximate functional relationship among three contributors and water supply costs exclusive of resource cost and amortization. The yardstick water supply costs were determined by target performance method applying the formula. Although the formula needs an upgrade, our calculations demonstrate a feasibility of Yardstick Cost Method practice for tariff regulation of Russian water suppliers.

Information technologies implementation for reducing water losses in water supply systems

The article discusses the elements of an automated system for collecting, storing and transmitting data on water consumption, modern metering devices, data collection and transmission devices. The author analyzes the shortcomings of existing accounting and analysis automation systems at Russian water utilities. A comprehensive approach to automated systems in the field of water consumption accounting is proposed. The article considers the experience of the State unitary enterprise “Vodokanal of Saint Petersburg” in the sphere development and application of a single automated complex for diagnostics, monitoring and management of the water supply network. The goals and main functions of the complex are revealed, the main stages and results of its implementation are presented.

TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION OF THE PHYTOPLANKTON IN THE MIDLE CASPIAN SEA

A high variyety of vegetation and a predominance of small cell forms are typical of the current structure of the phytoplankton of the seacoastal shallow waters of the Russian coastline of the Caspian Sea. The replacement of the dominating complex and the size groups of the phytoplankton has occurred. The phytoplankton community is represented by six categories: Cyanophyta, Bacillariaphyta, Dinophita, Euglenophyta, Chlorophyta, and the small flagellates. The basis of the taxonomic variety consists of the Diatoms algae. The composition of species of the phytoplankton of the sea coastal shallow waters of the Russian water area of the Middle Caspian is in a dynamic state and depends on the direction of the change of water regime.

Water Resources of Russia: State, Utilization, Protection, Management Issues

The subject of the research is particular qualities of water resources causing methodological difficulties of their quantity and quality assessment according to the data from hydra monitoring conducted by specialized bodies.The purpose of the work is estimate of state, utilization, and protection of water resources in order to solve problems of water development environment of the country.The author argues that at least two assessments are necessary — of static storage and of renewable capacity. Data of Russian water resources, their ecological state, and their utilization in the economy, as well as anthropogenic impact and its after-effects are given and analyzed. The author also analyzes the reasons of discrepancy between the data on the water quality in the water bodies and the information about negative impact reduction in Russia. Tasks for water resources and water economy management system are formulated, the quality of these tasks solution in modern Russia is assessed; objective as well as subjective factors complicating the system’s work are revealed. The scientific tasks for the development of water resources and water economy management system are formulated.It is concluded that water is the major biosphere cosystemforming factor depending on the capacity, consumptive water use methods, as well as other factors of water protection that should be within the competence of water resources management in order to improve the nation’s environment protection. Nevertheless, the Russian water resources and water economy management system remains behind the developed countries level, and it needs a speedy development in the directions indicated in the article.