Haskovo Water Utility Cracks Down on Non-Paying Customers

Haskovo’s water company has launched an operation targeting delinquent subscribers, with outstanding payments totaling around BGN 2 million. Teams are disconnecting water supply to the largest debtors in the “Republika” district of Haskovo, Southern Bulgaria, where consumption is high but much of it remains unpaid.

Just today, debtors paid BGN 12,100, while crews uncovered three illegal connections to the network. Excavators went to six properties whose owners owe more than BGN 12,000 in total.

Residents expressed frustration during the operation.

One said: “Why are you saying that I’ve been promising for three years?”

“Where did this 1,000 leva come from? I’m sick, diabetic, with high blood pressure… I pay 100 leva at a time, but the debt doesn’t decrease.”

“When you cut off the water, how are people supposed to live? They don’t work anywhere… Take 500 leva, but don’t do it like this, please,” a resident said.

For the second day now the water company's teams have been operating in the neighbourhood.

Plamena Ilieva, head of the Sales Department at Water and Sewerage Company - Haskovo, explained the procedure: “The supply is cut off with an excavator at the building’s water connection, then capped. Once the full debt is paid, a reconnection fee applies. The excavator returns to reconnect the supply after payment.”

Reconnection costs range between BGN 800 and 1,000, so most debtors find the money as soon as they see the excavators.

“In three hours, we collected over BGN 10,000, not including additional payments at the cashier,” Ilieva said.

Crews also encountered homes illegally connected to the main water supply. “Yesterday we found one illegal connection, and today another at a newly built property without proper documentation,” Ilieva noted.

Such enforcement actions are carried out periodically. On Monday, Water and Sewerage Company teams will visit non-paying subscribers in the village of Uzundzovo.