Water Crisis: The Village of Brestovitsa near Plovdiv Once Again Under Supply Restrictions

This year again, the village of Brestovitsa near Plovdiv will be placed under a water supply schedule. In the higher areas, taps have run dry for over a week, while the problem is worsening in other parts of the village. Authorities convened an urgent meeting in front of the town hall to determine how to tackle the crisis.

Water issues in Brestovitsa began several years ago after elevated levels of manganese were detected in the supply. As a result, supplementary water sources with a limited operational lifespan were established. However, the quantities from these are clearly not sufficient.

Lyubomir Tomov, Chair of the “Life for Brestovitsa” Association: “There have been short water outages lasting a few days, but it has never before reached a week or up to 15 days in parts of the village.”

Anna Kabzamalova commented: “This is more than just neglect towards the people of Brestovitsa. It amounts to a living genocide — the water problem here has remained unresolved for 5 to 6 years.”

Representatives from the Water Supply and Sewerage Company (ViK) and the municipality explained to the gathered residents that the water had been cut off to measure the exact consumption.

Emilia Ivanova, Deputy Mayor of Rodopi Municipality, said: “The reservoirs filled overnight, which indicates there is sufficient water flow. There is simply no source to provide more than this amount.”

Engineer Boris Petrakov, Head of the Krichim district at ViK Plovdiv, added: “The village requires about 600 cubic metres of water per day; currently, there is a shortfall of around 2,000 cubic metres.”

Water specialists will monitor how long the reservoirs now being filled will last before initiating controlled water release to the lower parts of the village.

Engineer Rosen Kukurov, also Head of the Krichim district at ViK Plovdiv, explained: “Based on the results we receive, we will inform the local authorities on how water supply will be alternated throughout the village.”

Resident Elena Yankova: “We all agree to a water schedule and possible penalties for misuse, as long as we at least know when we will have water and when we won’t.”

The water rationing schedule is expected to be announced today. A comprehensive solution will come only when the new pipeline from boreholes in the neighbouring municipality is completed — a project that has now been delayed for three years.