A meeting was held in Mykolaiv to discuss the timeline for supplying drinking water

In Mykolaiv, it is still unclear when the city’s tap water will be safe to drink. 

The issue was discussed at a session of the Mykolaiv City Council.

Hanna Montavon, chair of the supervisory board of the municipal enterprise “Mykolaivvodokanal,” explained that the water leaving the treatment plants already nearly meets the standards.

However, the aging water distribution network degrades its quality before the water reaches consumers. Montavon recommended that Mykolaiv residents continue to use water from distribution points for the time being.

Since the beginning of 2026, 7 kilometers of new pipes have already been laid in the city. According to Montavon, water quality will gradually improve as the networks are restored.

Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych noted that the complete replacement of the water supply networks will take about 20 years. He emphasized that water is deemed potable solely based on the results of laboratory analyses—taken from various points in the city’s network—and not on the basis of statements by officials.

According to the mayor, the existing treatment facilitiesof “Mykolaivvodokanal” are outdated and require complete modernization.

The city is collaborating with the European Investment Bank to upgrade the treatment facilities. The Danish government is prepared to provide grant co-financing in the amount of 43 million euros. The project is currently awaiting approval from the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.

Until stable test results are obtained, Mykolaiv residents are advised to collect water for drinking and cooking at designated distribution points.

As is known, on April 12, 2022, Russian occupiers destroyed the Dnipro-Mykolaiv main water pipeline, leaving the city without a water supply. This was one of the most severe humanitarian blows to the city since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Subsequently, a large-scale project was launched to create a full-cycle water supply system—from water intake to a modern treatment system. 

In June 2026, the completion of the new water supply system was announced.

According to Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych, the quality of tap water currently meets standards almost entirely—deviations from standards have been recorded for only one indicator. Experts continue to monitor the situation.

Ірина Глухова