Worse than a blackout: some Ukrainian cities could be left without water

Some Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, may be left without water, which would be much worse than a blackout.

This was stated by Artem Shyra, vice president of the Ukrainian Water Association.

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communities and Territories Development, Oleksii Kuleba, earlier said that the government is installing backup power at water utilities, strengthening facilities, and building alternative water-supply schemes. Officials are also asking citizens to take care of themselves independently.

“If we are talking about Kyiv, it has several intake points and branched networks. The risk there is only hourly water supply. That is not critical. But there are cities with a single intake point, for example Odesa. Just one pipe in one location,” Shyra said in an interview.

According to media reports, pumping stations for large cities take six to twelve months to manufacture, and they are no longer produced in Ukraine. Soviet plants, including the one in Sumy, no longer exist. Therefore, even if money is available, the equipment will have to be waited for.

Shyra noted that people should keep several 20-liter bottles of water in reserve. At the same time, he said, it is worth identifying an alternative source in advance within a one-kilometer walking distance: a borehole, well, or public water pump not connected to the water-supply system.

“If such a place exists, it is possible to live, even with a bucket. If not, then a few days after supplies run out, the only option is to leave,” the expert added.

Dmytro Novytskyi, president of the Ukrvodokanalekolohiia association, for his part, noted that a so-called “water-out” is much more frightening than a blackout.

“Water utilities are an underground organism made up of thousands of kilometers of networks. They are extremely difficult and time-consuming to restore in the event of mass damage. The larger the city, the harder it is to provide it with alternative water supply,” one media outlet quoted Novytskyi as saying.

According to media reports, total losses to water infrastructure in Ukraine amount to $7.8 billion, and full restoration will require about $17.5 billion over ten years. At the same time, most critical equipment is not produced in Ukraine.