Mykolaiv Water Supply Project Cost Reduced to ₴ 8.7B, Quality Assured

The new water supply system to Mykolaiv has been reduced in price, but they promise that the drinking water will be of high quality.

This is reported by Ukrinform.

According to Serhiy Sukhomlyn, head of the State Agency for Infrastructure Recovery and Development, the reduction in the cost of the water pipeline project between Nova Odesa and Mykolaiv will not affect the quality of work or drinking water that city residents will receive.

According to him, the initial cost of the project was UAH 8.7 billion, but after the revision, it was possible to reduce the cost of construction without losing functionality or quality. On the contrary, the updated version adds technical solutions that were not originally envisioned. In particular, we are talking about frequency converters that will improve the synchronization of pumping stations and protect the system from water hammer.

Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional Water Supply Company, assured that the water supplied to homes will meet high standards even in peacetime.

"Mykolaiv residents are used to drinking water from the tap because it was normal. That is why we are trying to do our best to make it no worse now," he said.

Construction is currently underway despite the unfavorable weather. According to the experts, the vegetation layer has been completely removed, earthworks are 85% complete, and pipe laying is ongoing with about 40% of the work completed. Wells and chambers are also being installed, and a sand base for the pipeline is being arranged. In addition, the project provides for the protection of key facilities from possible shelling.

Separate funds have been allocated to compensate farmers for crops lost due to the pipeline. All agreements with the farmers were reached as soon as possible, Sukhomlin assured.

After the Russian shelling on April 12, 2022, the Dnipro-Mykolaiv water main was damaged, which led to a shutdown of centralized water supply. Since then, the city has been receiving process water from the Ingulets River and, since May 2022, from the Southern Bug River.

The system is to be restored with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Cabinet of Ministers has already allocated UAH 125.5 million from the reserve fund for water supply.

The construction work is being carried out by several companies that have previously received large-scale government contracts, including Avtostrada, Rostdorstroy, and Ukrtransmist. However, some contractors are subject to criminal proceedings related to efficiency and transparency of spending.

Until the centralized supply is fully restored, the city has about 200 drinking water points. It is delivered from wells and distributed through special tanks.

Ірина Глухова