Teams from several state institutions have uncovered two illegal water abstraction facilities in the area of an unlawful complex near Varna. The inspection was carried out following a report submitted by Kosta Stoyanov, and further checks by the competent authorities are expected.
One of the facilities is already equipped and in use, while the second is still under construction.
“We carried out an inspection of these facilities yesterday. So far, two water abstraction facilities — tubular wells — have been identified. One of them has been equipped and is currently in use. No water abstraction permit has been issued for its construction; consequently, the facility is illegal and its use is likewise unlawful. The other facility is located in the immediate vicinity. It is currently under construction, has not yet been completed and has not been equipped. No construction documentation exists for it either,” said Yavor Dimitrov on the programme The Day Begins.
According to Dimitrov, the law requires both a water abstraction permit issued by the Basin Directorate and a building permit under the Spatial Planning Act for facilities of this kind.
“For such facilities, the procedure requires the issuance of a permit for water abstraction through new water abstraction facilities by the Basin Directorate. Since a water abstraction facility constitutes a construction project under the Spatial Planning Act, a building permit must also be issued for its construction. No such permits have been issued for either of the two facilities discovered here,” he said.
Officials from the Water Supply and Sewerage – Varna also reported that the company had not received any application for the construction of such facilities for domestic water supply purposes in the area of the complex.
State authorities continue their inspections in the “Baba Alino” area near Varna.
Investigators are still determining the purpose of the water extraction facilities and how water is being supplied to the buildings within the complex. According to preliminary findings, the water distribution network has been installed underground, making it difficult to trace.
“The entire water supply network has been laid underground, which complicates our inspection. However, in residential buildings nearby and in other utility shafts, we discovered collector pipes and water meters recording water consumption.”
According to information provided by local residents, they pay for water supply services to the property owners or to those who constructed the facilities.
“According to residents in the area, they make payments to the property owners or to those who built the facilities, but no documentation supporting these arrangements has been presented to us. If this is indeed the case, the use of water for domestic consumption in the buildings without an established sanitary protection zone around the facility creates risks for water quality and its safe use.”
The Black Sea Region Basin Directorate announced that both the Prosecutor's Office and the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission will be notified later today.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that additional illegal facilities may be uncovered during future inspections. Under Bulgarian law, unlawfully constructed water abstraction facilities are subject to decommissioning.
The first step will be the issuance of mandatory orders to the property owners. The dismantling process is expected to be completed by the end of the week.
photos: BNT
Kosta Stoyanov, the Member of Parliament from Vazrazhdane who submitted the report regarding the alleged illegal borehole, said on The Day Begins that new information continues to emerge concerning what he described as unlawful activities by the Ukrainian group KYB in the “Baba Alino” area.
“After we had already witnessed the illegal felling of centuries-old forest and unlawful construction, we received reports from local residents that they were also using an illegal borehole. Through a network of pipes, reservoirs and pumps, water from the borehole was connected to the buildings’ water supply system. This constitutes a violation of the law and also breaches all sanitary and hygiene requirements, because the borehole is illegal. There is no information about water testing, no studies or analyses have been carried out, and this could pose a risk to the health of those using the water.”
Stoyanov said that he had notified all relevant authorities and thanked the Regional Governor, the Director of the Black Sea Region Basin Directorate and the manager of the Varna water utility for responding immediately to the report.
“They carried out an inspection and it turned out that there was not just one illegal borehole, but another one as well, which was discovered by the Basin Directorate. There may even be more. The inspections are continuing, and I hope the competent authorities will fulfil their duties and take the necessary action.
“It is important that we all unite in order to put an end to this arbitrariness, this lawlessness and these illegal activities on our territory.”
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