Odessa faces a water shortage unless a new water pipeline is built

Odessa risks facing an acute shortage of drinking water in as little as 10–15 years if steps aren’t taken now to address the water supply problem.

This was stated by Serhiy Sukhomlyn, head of the State Agency for Infrastructure Restoration and Development of Ukraine.

According to him, a main pipeline route from Odesa to Reni is currently being developed, and water could be drawn from the mouth of the Danube and supplied to Odesa, and then on to Kherson.

The Agency is currently working with the World Bank on a feasibility study for the construction of this main pipeline.

Sukhomlyn believes that a large-scale water pipeline could provide a boost not only to Odesa’s water supply but also to the development of the entire region.

In particular, he mentions the possibility of expanding land irrigation. According to him, this could increase crop yields in the Odesa region by two to three times.

In addition, the development of water infrastructure, in his view, creates the conditions for the construction of new settlements.

“That’s just a dream, I think, for anyone—to build a completely new city from scratch without the problems we’ve inherited from the Soviet Union: issues with heat supply, water supply, urban infrastructure planning, and so on. A new city and a very large water supply system—that would be great," said the agency’s head.

He emphasized that it will only be possible to fully discuss such a large-scale reconstruction after the war ends.

As Intent previously reported, temporary disruptions in the water supply to parts of the Peresypsky District of Odesa and the Odesa District occurred following yet another Russian attack on the city and the region.

Ірина Глухова