3.7 billion leva are needed to replace the outdated water supply infrastructure, and that is only for urgent and urgent actions. This is the conclusion of the newly established National Water Board.
"The solution cannot be with a magic wand. In order to have water, there must be a water source, a water supply system, a treatment plant and a branch network in the city itself. If one is missing, the water supply problem cannot be solved," said the manager of a design organization specializing in water resources management, Eng. Aleko Tomov, to Bulgaria ON Air.
According to him, politicians or impostors are looking for a solution, but not experts.
"For 40 years, there was a 70 km water transmission network and over 50 dams, for 35 years this network was abandoned, not a single dam was designed. The steel pipe has a life of about 20-25 years, in Troyan the pipe is 55 years old. It has corroded to the point that it flows like a watering can, it is like a tunnel, in places only a mesh is left", gave an example Eng. Tomov on the air of Bulgaria ON AIR.
The problem with drier weather has been noticeable for about 5 years.
"Water intakes are decreasing, there is a reason to build dams, the water has decreased significantly upstream, and losses are also added... But to design a dam, a team is needed. The great generation of engineers has passed away, we have a big problem - there is no interest in our specialty. They look at us like a hydro mafia", said the expert in water resources management.
Bulgarian municipalities want independent water supply and sanitation companies that are municipal. Thus, the maintenance of the water transmission network and the service for citizens will be better.
"There are currently 16 municipal water supply companies, the price of water is lower and the cost of the activities they perform is lower. We are building new water pipes, so we do not have the opportunity for European funding. It went to the huge water supply companies, which cannot provide quality service to the water supply sector, this led to a large part of the problems in the sector," explained the mayor of Karlovo and member of the National Association of Municipalities Emil Kabaivanov.
He stated that with more municipal companies, the problems would be solved faster, better and with less money.