For over two years without drinking water. The mayor of front-line Mykolaiv explained how the half-million city survives.

Mykolaiv: fighting water supply problems after the pipeline explosion

Since 2014, Mykolaiv has had almost no access to centralized drinking water. In April 2022, Russian troops blew up the pipeline that supplied water from the Dnieper. Mykolaiv's mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych, states: 'The occupiers were afraid that the Ukrainian army would use these pipes to liberate Kherson, so they destroyed them.'

However, during May 2022, residents of Mykolaiv received water delivered from other regions. In addition, a temporary pipeline was built to the Southern Bug River. However, the water from this river is not suitable for drinking as it cannot be consumed. This leads to losses in the water supply system, but the city's sewage system is still operating.

To date, the population of Mykolaiv has almost returned to pre-war levels, but the city is still in a state of crisis. More than 240 wells have already been installed in the city from which residents can receive purified water for free. In addition, there are trams and trolleybuses that deliver water. According to Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych, the situation resembles those during World War II when people were forced to carry barrels of water.

The local authorities are working on restoring the city's economy, particularly on creating a tech park. However, this will require additional water resources, so Mykolaiv demands that the government provide a new water intake capacity of at least 120 thousand cubic meters of water per day.

Meanwhile, the war in Mykolaiv has also caused significant destruction. Buildings, shops, and vehicles have been damaged. The dam of the Kurakhiv reservoir has also been damaged, but so far there is no information about flooded houses.