In 2024, the Ukrainian government allocated Hr.8.7 billion ($210.5 million) from its state budget to restore the fresh water supply to the southern city of Mykolaiv. Russian forces destroyed the previous water supply in April 2022.
Since then, almost half a million residents have struggled without a reliable mains water supply – relying instead on wells for drinking water.
The project was carried out by the State Recovery Agency along with one of Ukraine’s leading infrastructure construction companies – Autostrada – which brought the project in ahead of schedule and more than Hr.2 billion ($48 million) under budget.
The remaining funds will be used to carry out other water supply projects in the Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Poltava regions.
Work began in January with most of the construction completed in August. Two weeks of system testing are currently underway, after which the pipeline will be fully operational, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Facebook on Thursday.
She said the system will ensure an uninterrupted water supply to all Ukrainian communities. The government has approved a comprehensive plan for the new construction, reconstruction, systems overhaul and refurbishment of structures and pipeline networks.
Mykolaiv has suffered frequent Russian shelling from the nearby front lines, resulting in power outages which could jeopardize the operation of the water supply. The bulk of the pipes and water pumping stations are therefore located underground, along with air raid shelters for workers. Controls are also sited remotely, as are reserve power supplies and an attack protection system.
The system will provide the city and surrounding area with 120 thousand cubic meters (31.8 million gallons) of water for households and another 50 thousand (13.2 million gallons) for agriculture per day.
The new water system will draw from the Pivdennyi Buh River rather than from the Dnipro River which was the previous source of supply.