For information purposes, it should be noted that in 2025, 82.4% (31.5 million) of the population nationwide was supplied with centralized drinking water.

During 2023–2025, construction, reconstruction, and repair works were carried out at 3,472 facilities, of which 3,259 facilities were commissioned.

As a result, drinking water and wastewater services for 9.5 million people and 11 thousand business entities improved, while 35% of the population and 46% of entrepreneurs received drinking water and wastewater services for the first time.

During the audit, a number of problems and shortcomings in the sector were identified. In particular:

-In 2025, 6.3% of drinking water samples did not meet sanitary standards based on bacteriological analysis, 4.9% based on chemical indicators, while for rural water facilities these indicators amounted to 6.8% and 8.1%, respectively;

-As of 01.01.2026, meters had been installed for 4.4 million subscribers (85.6% of the total) and 3,865 water facilities (30.4%), of which the calibration period had expired for 533 thousand subscribers (12.1%) and 2,410 water facility meters (62.4%).

-Water losses from water produced by enterprises amounted to 483.2 million m3 (30.2%) in 2023, 500.9 million m3 (33.9%) in 2024, and 468.9 million m3 (40.4%) during the first 9 months of 2025.

-There are 64 wastewater treatment and 191 local (domestic) treatment facilities in the republic with a total capacity of 3.6 million m3/day, but they currently operate at only 2.6 million m3/day (72.2%) capacity.

-At present, 32 domestic wastewater and 1 local treatment facility have become physically and technologically outdated, with efficiency reduced by more than 50%, requiring repair, resulting in wastewater being discharged into open water bodies without treatment.

-7.3% of water samples taken from water bodies in the impact zones of wastewater discharge sites did not meet hygienic requirements in terms of microbiological indicators, and 9.6% did not comply with sanitary-chemical indicators;

-Financial sanctions, penalties, and non-production-related expenses were included in tariff project calculations;

-Due to increasing normative water loss levels from the average established 28% to 33% during tariff formation in 2023–2024, this led to inefficient consumption of 133 million m³ of drinking water or an additional average cost of 135.4 soums per 1 m³ of water;

-Although the deadline for introducing the “Water Data” unified database and Automated Warehouse System was set for December 2024, the system had not been implemented by the audit period (PQ-343 dated 24.10.2023);

-A mechanism for disconnecting consumers with debts for drinking water supply and wastewater services from electricity supply in order to recover debts has not been implemented (deadline: 01.01.2024);

Nationwide, 1.7 million consumers (33.5%) have not made payments for 6 months, 1.1 million (21.8%) for 1 year, and 742 thousand (14.5%) for more than 2 years.

-SCADA systems were organized as separate infrastructure systems, without a unified policy by the company and without centralized monitoring and control;

-Due to the absence of installed meters, lack of operational launch, incomplete infrastructure, and poor project planning, 22 facilities remain unused and inefficient;

For example, in Davlatobod, Pop, and Chust districts, no staff positions were allocated for operating 3 facilities commissioned 2.5 years ago.

Similarly, in Bo‘ka and Pskent districts, no subscribers were connected because internal network connections for population coverage were not fully envisaged in the projects.

-In 8 cases within 5 projects, funds were spent inefficiently due to malfunctioning equipment or additional expenses required for their operation.

-Five contracts were signed with JSC “Tashkent Regional Water Supply”, whose main activity is not construction-contracting works and which is not included in the sectoral rating.

-At 55 facilities, works were either not fully completed or invoices confirming completed works were not formalized, yet the facilities were accepted for operation;

For example, under the project “Laying a drinking water network for residents of ‘Ijodkor’ mahalla in Davlatobod district” (completion deadline: 12.12.2023), although contractor LLC “INSHAAT-INVEST” completed only 18% of the works in 2023, the State Acceptance Commission certificate was formalized on 22.09.2023.

Following the audit, proposals were submitted for developing a long-term strategy together with relevant ministries and agencies to fundamentally improve the drinking water and wastewater services system in the republic, including:

-transforming the management system of JSC “Uzsuvta’minot”;

-installing smart water meters at water facilities and main water pipelines, as well as water meters for household consumers;

-creating a centralized system for drinking water production and delivery to consumers, as well as monitoring and accounting systems to reduce water losses in networks;

-introducing SCADA and geographic information systems (GIS);

-conducting technological audits of drinking water and wastewater facilities and networks and carrying out their modernization and reconstruction;

-taking into account effective use of existing facilities when forming investment programs and upgrading water networks;

-re-equipping laboratories, accrediting them, and improving specialist qualifications;

-fully digitalizing the system by the end of 2026 jointly with the Ministry of Digital Technologies.

The above-mentioned shortcomings were discussed with responsible officials of ministries and agencies, measures were determined, and relevant information was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding eliminating these shortcomings and preventing their recurrence in the future, while corresponding instructions were also issued to JSC “Uzsuvta’minot”.