Almost doubling in price: new water tariffs for Odesa residents after the war

In Odesa, after the end of martial law, it is planned to increase the water tariff from the current 35 hryvnias to 55 hryvnias 44 kopecks per cubic meter.

This was discussed during an interview with Serhiy Chaban, head of the Infoksvodokanal information center, on Intent.Insight.

According to him, the new tariff is economically justified and covers the company's expenses, but this figure is not yet final.

"We don't know what the tariff will be and when martial law will end, because at that time the National Commission may recalculate it, it may become cheaper, or it may become more expensive. I think this figure is likely to be different. But technically, martial law must end first, then the National Commission must make a decision, and only after that, after a certain period, can we talk about raising the tariff," explained Chaban.

The current tariff of 35 hryvnias was set before the outbreak of full-scale war, and it no longer corresponds to the company's actual costs for water supply and sewage. The increase in the tariff is also due to the significant level of consumer debt. While as of January 1, 2022, the total debt toInfoksvodokanal amounted to UAH 315 million, it has now increased to UAH 462 million, and in some months it almost reached half a billion. The bulk of the debt - 329 million or 71% - is owed by households. Legal entities owe UAH 133 million. It is worth noting that a debt is considered to be an unpaid bill after the 20th day of the month following the billing period.

As Odesa region is not a war zone, the moratorium on disconnecting debtors from utilities has been lifted since 2024. This means that the supplier can apply disconnections to those who do not pay on time.

The issue of drinking water quality in Odesa was also discussed during the show.

According to a representative of the water utility, the water in Odesa constantly meets state sanitary standards and is monitored for 55 indicators. It is checked around the clock - both at the treatment plant, where river water is analyzed before and after treatment, and in the city, where samples are taken in public places, including schools. The water utility's laboratories conduct parallel analyzes together with the sanitary and epidemiological service of the Ministry of Health. No deviations from the norm have been detected.

In addition, back in 2015, Odesa became the first city in Ukraine to completely abandon the use of liquid chlorine and switch to safer sodium hypochlorite. This is of particular importance in times of war, as liquid chlorine is explosive. The treatment plants are also equipped with modern purification systems that ensure safe drinking water regardless of the condition of the sources.

Ірина Глухова