Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has promised that Russia will not lower the standard hot water temperature for residential homes, the Meduza news site reported.
"In order to not create problems, I decided to opt out of this idea. So the discussion is closed. I can reassure all of you: The water will not only be warm, but hot," Medvedev said Tuesday.
Medvedev also stated that he discussed the water temperature issue with experts and found out that there are "a number of water supply problems that can only be solved when the water is heated to 60-70 degrees."
Earlier this month, Russia's consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, proposed lowering the hot water temperature from 60 to 50 degrees. Such a measure would reduce water bills without harming citizens' health, the agency suggested.
Russian sanitary regulations require a minimum water temperature of 60 degrees to protect against the spread of bacteria.