Ten Villages in Varna District Introduce Water Rationing

At present, ten villages in the district of Varna have introduced water rationing. All of them rely on their own local sources of drinking water, which have diminished due to the ongoing drought, necessitating restrictions during the summer months.

For Marinka Tasheva, coping with water scarcity has become a way of life. Her garden, which once yielded abundant produce, is now dry and dusty.

"During the summer, as you can imagine, not having enough water is very challenging. We often don’t have enough, because the supply is so limited, and when water is turned on and everyone fills their containers, we sometimes only get two to three hours of water," said Marinka Tasheva, a resident of Dobroglede village.

The water supply in Dobroglede comes from a local source. The network was built over 50 years ago and was originally designed for around 60 households. Today, the village includes a much larger residential area, but the source remains the same. Water shortages are now caused not only by high demand but also by prolonged drought.

"During summer, we have water suply restrictions. One day the village has water, the next day it doesn’t. But in recent years, even this system is difficult to maintain because the water levels have dropped drastically," commented Yanka Pavlova, mayor of Dobroglede.

Providing alternative water sources could help resolve the shortages in these villages. Experts say the condition of groundwater in the Black Sea region is generally good, but careful management of resources is crucial.

"There is no obstacle to providing alternative water sources, especially in cases of acute shortage, but this should remain as a backup, as long as surface water is available," said Yavor Dimitrov, director of the Black Sea Basin Directorate.

The most effective way to address water scarcity is to prevent losses from the supply networks. Due to ageing pipes that frequently break down, water losses in Varna reach 60% of total consumption, and in some areas of the country, they rise to 80%.

"These networks were built 50–60 years ago, and rehabilitation and replacement are proceeding very slowly, because this should not be the responsibility of water companies alone. Municipalities should play a significant role, as they own these assets," said Yana Marinova, deputy director of Varna Water Company.

Over the past 20 years, due to expensive infrastructure investments, slow procedures, and a lack of long-term planning for the water supply networks nationwide, residents are largely left hoping for rainfall.

"We are still expecting autumn replenishment. If hydrometeorological conditions are favourable, water levels in all reservoirs should rise," said Yavor Dimitrov.

For now, there is no risk of water restrictions for Varna residents, even though the 'Kamchia' Reservoir, which supplies the city, is currently at half capacity. Increased demand is offset by the Devnya Springs, which are effectively inexhaustible.