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The Tuul River, which flows through Ulaanbaatar, is one of its water resources. The Tuul runs for 704 km from its source in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park in the Khentii Mountains, and has a river basin covering an area of 49.84 km2. It connects with the Orkhon River and flows into the Selenge River, which then empties into Lake Baikal.
Ulaanbaatar takes the water from more than 30 meters below the surface, so even if the Tuul is not currently clean, the water Ulaanbaatar takes is not polluted. The City Central Water Center provides all the water for Ulaanbaatar. The center has a running capacity of 177,500 m3/day and a total capacity of 230,000 m3/day, so some spare capacity remains. City plans estimate that an additional 240,000 m3/day will be needed to cover water demands as the population increases.
Ulaanbaatar is approaching levels where water shortages could become a daily problem. Water demand is estimated to reach 510,700 m3/day by 2030.
55.5% of Ulaanbaatar’s total water supply is for domestic use, with 53% supplied to apartments and 2.5% supplied to other private residences and the ger district. Meanwhile, 41.5% is for industrial use, split between power plants and organizations, and 3.7% is for agricultural use, including livestock.
Worldwide, two thirds of the water supply is for agricultural use, followed by industrial use and then domestic use; however, Mongolia’s agricultural water consumption is vastly less than other countries due to differences stemming from farming versus the nomadic system that thrives in Mongolia.
Clean drinking water supplies are available in 77% of Ulaanbaatar, and sewerage for sanitation is available in 35% of the city. Sewerage significantly lags behind drinking water in other regional towns and cities, where 41% have access to drinking water and 10% to sewerage.
According to the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), 57% of the world had clean drinking water sources in 2008. By comparison, the rate for cities in developed countries was approximately 79%.
Looking at these figures, the rates for Ulaanbaatar are close to those for developed countries, but those for regional towns and cities are quite low.
Tap water in Ulaanbaatar is considered bacteria-free, and besides the antiquated plumbing which means that the water may contain rust and chlorine that is not good for your long-term health, the drinking water in Ulaanbaatar is not contaminated.
Be wary of water purifier sales men that knock at your door, as water purifiers will make your water worse by filtering the minerals that are beneficial. What you need is a simple water purifier that filters rust and chlorine.
Otherwise, you should leave your water to stand overnight, so that the rust precipitates to the bottom of the pot and the chlorine evaporates.
The Tuul River, which flows through Ulaanbaatar, is one of its water resources. The Tuul runs for 704 km from its source in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park in the Khentii Mountains, and has a river basin covering an area of 49.84 km2. It connects with the Orkhon River and flows into the Selenge River, which then empties into Lake Baikal.
Ulaanbaatar takes the water from more than 30 meters below the surface, so even if the Tuul is not currently clean, the water Ulaanbaatar takes is not polluted. The City Central Water Center provides all the water for Ulaanbaatar. The center has a running capacity of 177,500 m3/day and a total capacity of 230,000 m3/day, so some spare capacity remains. City plans estimate that an additional 240,000 m3/day will be needed to cover water demands as the population increases.
Ulaanbaatar is approaching levels where water shortages could become a daily problem. Water demand is estimated to reach 510,700 m3/day by 2030.
55.5% of Ulaanbaatar’s total water supply is for domestic use, with 53% supplied to apartments and 2.5% supplied to other private residences and the ger district. Meanwhile, 41.5% is for industrial use, split between power plants and organizations, and 3.7% is for agricultural use, including livestock.
Worldwide, two thirds of the water supply is for agricultural use, followed by industrial use and then domestic use; however, Mongolia’s agricultural water consumption is vastly less than other countries due to differences stemming from farming versus the nomadic system that thrives in Mongolia.
Clean drinking water supplies are available in 77% of Ulaanbaatar, and sewerage for sanitation is available in 35% of the city. Sewerage significantly lags behind drinking water in other regional towns and cities, where 41% have access to drinking water and 10% to sewerage.
According to the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), 57% of the world had clean drinking water sources in 2008. By comparison, the rate for cities in developed countries was approximately 79%.
Looking at these figures, the rates for Ulaanbaatar are close to those for developed countries, but those for regional towns and cities are quite low.
Tap water in Ulaanbaatar is considered bacteria-free, and besides the antiquated plumbing which means that the water may contain rust and chlorine that is not good for your long-term health, the drinking water in Ulaanbaatar is not contaminated.
Be wary of water purifier sales men that knock at your door, as water purifiers will make your water worse by filtering the minerals that are beneficial. What you need is a simple water purifier that filters rust and chlorine.
Otherwise, you should leave your water to stand overnight, so that the rust precipitates to the bottom of the pot and the chlorine evaporates.