At the initiative of the Ministry of environment and waters, a working meeting was held to discuss actions and measures to ensure the drinking and domestic water supply of the population from the Kamchia, Yasna Polyana, Asenovets, Ticha, Kalin and Karagyol dams, reported BNT.
Representatives of "Bulgarian Plumbing Holding" participated in the meeting. EAD and water supply operators for Burgas, Shumen, Sliven and Targovishte. The representatives of VK operators for Varna and Dupnitsa did not respond to the invitation to the meeting.
Deputy Minister Reneta Koleva asked the holding company and the water supply operators to submit to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science within 2 weeks a plan for the distribution of water quantities and provision of drinking and domestic water supply for each of the discussed dams.
This includes an estimate of water quantities for each water supply operator, as well as information on the presence or absence of alternative water sources and, accordingly, what volume of needs is provided. The companies must also present a vision with measures and deadlines regarding the inclusion of new and rehabilitation of old water sources for alternative water supply, as well as for reducing losses in the water supply network.
"Efficient and sustainable long-term management of water resources is needed. But first we need to identify short-term measures to deal with the problem of drought and lack of water for water supply. Let's see where you – water service operators, you state the greatest needs. To be aware of what the lack of water is due to – lack of an alternative water source, poor infrastructure, lack of funds, losses or administrative obstacles", Deputy Minister Reneta Koleva said during the meeting.
She reviewed the quantities in the dams – in the period 2010-2024, which shows the retention of low volumes in the last few years, and pointed out that the inflow to date is typical of the conditions of a very dry year.
The NIMH data indicate a continuation of the trend for consecutive dry years, which predicts a deepening of the problem with aridity and categorically requires the taking of urgent measures by the institutions and water supply operators. “In order to reduce the suffering of the people, our task is from now on to see how to distribute the available water quantities in the most expedient way, so that the restrictions imposed by the monthly schedules affect to the least extent the population supplied with water by the various waterworks operators“, said the director of the “Water Management“ at the Ministry of Education and Culture Krasimira Bramcheva.
Eng. Lozko Lozev, chairman of the board of directors of "Bulgarian Waterworks Holding" EAD recalled that the main problem in the sector is the physical losses on the network, which now stand out against the background of "zero inflow in some places".