The accident at the Mozhaisk sewage treatment plant occurred December 19, when several dozen thousand cubic meters of sewage leaked into the tributaries of the Moskva River after a pipe breakage. However, the local authorities did not report the accident immediately.
"Specialists are taking all measures, diluting contaminated water, but if the situation is not changed radically, the whole water cleaning technology will have to be altered," said Yevgeniya Bogomolova, press secretary of Mosvodokanal.
The emergencies ministry said the consequences of the accident had been eliminated by 5:00 a.m. Moscow time (2:00 a.m. GMT) Sunday.
Specialists are currently disinfecting soil near the sewage treatment plant and control has been enhanced over the quality of water in the Moskva River, the ministry said.