YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, NOYAN TAPAN. "Armenia's water system is corrupted". Artashes Barseghian, chairman of the NGO "Development of Civil Society Rights", and Hovik Arsenian, lawyer of the same NGO, made this statement at a press conference on August 26. Particularly, A. Barseghian said that living in the village of Qaghtsrashen of Ararat marz for the past three years, he witnessed illegal actions committed by officials of the water system, collected information about it and intends to bring a lawsuit against Armwatercanal CJSC. H. Arsenian added that by applying to court, they want to make the company fulfil its obligations towards consumers based on agreements signed. According to A. Barseghian, over the past three years, the company collected 1 bln drams from about 100 villages of the marz, however, no single pipe was replaced or repaired in the indicated period. Besides, the company is responsible for the quality of drinking water, whereas the tests done by the laboratory of the National Institute of Health after Avdalbekian revealed that the drinking water in the villages of Qaghtsrashen and Dvin do not meet the requirements. Despite the fact that the water poses a danger to consumers' health, Armwatercanal requires that the village inhabitants pay for it, otherwise threatening to cut off their water supply. In A. Barseghian's opinion, all this is a manifestation of corruption. "I intend to invite tourists from abroad, but how can I carry out my plans: these people will drink not clean water and become infected," A. Barseghian said resentfully.

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