Simultaneously, a great deal of work was done to scientifically justify the water charges. Based on attempts of all the republics to adopt water pricing laws, it is clear that all the states of Central Asia realize the necessity of water pricing to promote the efficient use of water resources. However, common approaches and procedures in water management are not available and each country addresses the problem in their own way. The size of the tariffs on each of the items mentioned above were calculated for the five Central Asian countries. The similarity of the existing methods of calculating tariffs in the water economy, in Kazakstan in particular, with the methods developed in the present project, consists of their common procedure for calculating the water delivery costs based on expenses.
Water has value as a natural resource and a raw material for various water users and consumers.
This affects the reliability of the water supply for all users. Natural river waters are of different qualities, which must be considered when designing water tariffs. However, examining its impact on the size of tariffs was not part of this project's scope of work and it is a topic for further work. Water pricing should be based on reliable accounting and regulation of water quality and quantity. One of the main principles in the fight for water quality is that the polluter pays and compensates damages to those users who suffer from poor water quality.