Alya, an employee in a local community centre, soaks in the clear waters of an unnamed river branch after a long day at work. She, along with all the residents of the village she lives at, has been dealing with a foul smell of the water that comes to their homes — she complains her nephews who came to visit refuse bathing in it. Althoug the problem has been persisting for several years, the local authorities were not able to find a solution. Alya has water filters installed in the sink, so the family could wash dishes and brush teeth. Water in Kalmykia, especially the drinking one, is in high demand. People dig wells by themselves, and even if they find water, it might be high in salts and minerals, rendering it unusable even for livestock. The government initiative to build a new water distribution system, which was meant to bring water from the neighbouring Stavropol krai, has failed. After 9 years of work it was abandoned, millions of rubles lost. Officials weren't held accountable.