A water utility in the Mykolaiv region was allocated 1.7 million to pay off its electricity debt

In Novy Buzh, Mykolaiv Oblast, 1.7 million hryvnias will be allocated to provide financial support to the municipal enterprise “Water Supply Networks.” The funds are intended primarily to pay off the enterprise’s electricity debt.

This was announced during a session of the Novy Buzh City Council.

The decision on financial support was preliminarily reviewed by council members at a meeting of the budget committee and subsequently approved at the city council session.

Currently, the water utility’s total debt stands at 2.278 million hryvnias. At the beginning of the year, the company owed approximately 3.2 million hryvnias for electricity.

According to Vadym Vysotskyi, head of the “Water Supply Networks” municipal enterprise, the company managed to reduce its debt over the summer thanks to cost-saving measures and its activities on the electricity market. After the rate increase, the water utility was able not only to pay its current bills but also to prepay approximately 1.02 million hryvnias.

The city council approved the allocation of 1.7 million hryvnias to pay off the bulk of the debt. The utility plans to pay another approximately 400,000 hryvnias from its own funds by mid-September.

At the same time, the city expects to reduce the utility’s electricity costs through infrastructure projects. In particular, a new water main laid last year, according to the company’s director, saves about 50,000 hryvnias per month. Electricity consumption has decreased by approximately 30,000 kW per month as a result.

Another way to reduce costs is expected to be a solar power plant for the water utility. Construction is currently underway following revisions to the project.

According to Vysotsky, the changes were necessary due to the specific topography of the terrain. After the documentation was approved, the contractor resumed work—concrete supports are currently being installed.

The water utility expects that once the power plant is completed, the company will be able to reduce its electricity costs. If the work is completed on schedule, starting next spring, Novy Buz plans to extend the water supply hours—approximately from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Ірина Глухова