The Kirov oblst is rich in water resources. There are 32 reservoirs more than 1 mln cubic meters each in the oblast. Their total estimated volume is 176.76 mln cubic meters having the total surface area of 69.29 square km.

All the reservoirs are considered to be small. The 5 largest reservoirs are the following: the Belaya Kholunitsa reservoir (51 mln cubic meters), the Omutninsk reservoir (32.5 mln cubic meters), the Bolshoe Kirsinskoe reservoir (18 mln cubic meters), the Chernaya Kholunitsa (12 mln cubic meters), the Sozimskoe reservoir (11.3 mln cubic meters).

There are 701 ponds of around 1 mln cubic meters each, their estimated total volume being 91.95 mln cubic meters having the total surface area of 57.23 square km.

The oblast's 7 deposits of groundwater are registered in the State register as well as 58 prospected and proved locations of groundwater. The oblast's estimated sweet-water resources are 10,214.7 thousand cubic meters per day. The Kirov oblast's total prospected resources of groundwater are more than 400 thousand cubic meters per day. The exploited resources are 15% of the prospected ones. The oblast's groundwaters are well-protected from off-the-surface pollution, their chemical composition meets the main requirements of SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01 (drinking water).

The most promising projects in respect of utilizing the hydro-power potential in the nearest 5-10 years are the following projects: the restoration of a once operating in 1994-1996 hydropower micro-plant on the Tataurovskoe reservoir in the Nolinsk district; and the construction of a hydropower micro-plant on the Ivanovskoe reservoir in the Yaransk district. For the construction of hydropower micro-plants at the already existing Shurminsky (the Urzhum district), the Arbazh, the Nizhnee Ivkino and the Ryabovsky (the Zuevka district) hydrosystems there have been already built culverts. The following projects are worth technical and economic assessment: the restoration and construction of small hydropower plants at Belokholunitsky, Omutninsky and Srednekirsinsky hydrosystems. As a long-term project it is worth to consider the project of construction of a low-head power plant on the Vyatka river in the vicinity of the citty of Kirov. The above-mentioned projects may be attractive for small businesses. The oblast's Government is willing to solve the problems of the development of energy-saving technologies and facilities as well as the development of small-scale power systems which allow to obtain cheaper power for the society's needs.