The characteristic of providing the Orenburg region population with qualitative drinking water is given in the article. The region's arid zone development problem caused by natural climatic and anthropo-technogenic conditions is considered. Orenburg region natural waters, being a backbone aqueous component, have an enormous impact on the economic and social region's development due to a water shortage. The combination of severe natural and climatic conditions and constantly increasing anthropogenic pressure led to an adversity in the field of providing the population with drinking water. Main reasons of unsatisfactory quality of drinking water are discovered. Overdraft of surface and underground water is strongly reflected in their natural flow regime, reducing not only a runoff, but also reducing ground water levels, stopping of springs existence which are quite often the only source of water. In addition to natural polluting factors, the anthropogenic activity on catchment areas of water objects related to plowing, use of herbicides and fertilizers, construction of roads, bridges and gas and oil pipelines have a great influence on a water quality.