Water supply in Rostov was founded in 1865. Merchants — concessionaires undertook to supply 1500 m³  of water per day. At the ‘Rich well’ (Bogatiy istochnik) they built a pump station, which supplied water to 250 m³ volume pressure reservoir. The water was distributed by gravity in 5 km cast-iron water-supply network, diameter 75 mm. 20 thousand people lived in Rostov, the water supply capacity was not enough. Very soon it became 10 km long. 

Then the water from the well was not enough. In 1892 they started using the river Don as a source for water supply. Water supply network supplied the city with 2500  m³  of water per day. By 1911 the network increased in 21 km, water supply capacity extended up to 20  m³ of water per day, they started chlorinating water.

The consequences of October Revolution and Civil War were liquidated only by 1924. That same year the trust «Vodokanalizatsiya» was founded. 

In 1924 Rostov became the center of North-Caucasus territory. The population and number of industrial plants increased. Therefore, the city needed more water. In 1929 they finished construction of the first stage of the new water supply with the capacity of 30 m³  per day and the water supply network increased up to 531 km. 

The only water supply source was the river Don. There was built a settlement basin: clarified water by gravity through the pipe canal and the Don ran to the pump station with the lift 96-1047 m W.C. The pressure conduit diameter 700 mm and 6 km long supplied water to the treatment facilities, located in the highest point of the city. 

However, quite soon even the amount of water was not enough for the city. In 1934 new water conduit objects were put into operation. Its capacity was 103 thousand m³ per day. It was the biggest water supply system in the South of Russia. 

While the Second World War the pump stations, networks and whole production plants were put out of action.  But in 20 days after liberation the city for the first time the water supply was 5 thousand m³ per day. In two months it became 17 thousand m³ per day. The water supply system was finally restored in 1948.

In 1950-1960 the water supply system capacity achieved 120 thousand m³  per day.

Since1959 there started a new epoch in the history of Rostov water supply system. They built new pump stations, water conduits, water treatment facilities, reconstructed the city water supply network. 

In 1962 they put in operation the first lift pump station with the capacity of 320 thousand m³ per day. In 1965 they finished constructing of the water supply system with the capacity of 160 thousand m³ per day. Now the city could create new districts. 

In 1971-1972 four third lift water supply pump stations were put into operation, but industrial grow needed more than half of the supplied water.

To provide new districts of the city as well as satellite towns with water in 1977 the third stage of filters with the capacity of 40 thousand m³ per day was put into operation. In 1981 they put into operation the second stage of Aleksandrovskiy water supply system and capacity of the city supply system became 480 thousand m³ per day.

In the last decades Rostov Vodokanal has been the biggest utility enterprise in the south of Russia.  People in Rostov, Aksay, Bataisk are supplied with water in accordance with the standards and quite soon among them there will be people in Taganrog.

However there is a list of problems: because of constant underfinancing the supply pipeline is seriously (70%) worn-out. Existing facilities of drainage system and water supply has not allowed the city further development. 

In 2006 a unique on a national scale 68^th collector was put into operation, construction of the 53^rd collector is also planned. The capacity of the city treatment facilities will achieve 460 thousand m³ per day, which will change the ecological situation in the city and Azov-Black Sea region. 

Appearance of the strategic investor JSC «Evraziyskiy» (JSC «Evrasiyskiy») allowed starting a large-scale reconstruction of networks, water conduits laying. There will be built the second water intake, which will remove restrictions in the city infrastructure development, help avoid expensive long-distance water transportation through the rugged relief.