Will the Water Crisis in Pleven Be Solved?

Will there be water for Pleven? This is the question being addressed today, August 14, at a meeting in the Ministry of Regional Development. The situation in the city remains critical, Minister Ivan Ivanov said after talks with the district governor, the mayor, and representatives of the state-owned Water and Sewerage Holding.

The projects for the city’s water supply network will be revised, with actual work expected to begin no earlier than September.

It became clear after the meeting that Pleven’s water problems will not be solved this year. Even if replacement works on the water mains begin in September, completion is unlikely for at least another two years.

The Ministry explained that there have been delays in implementing the projects but did not give specific reasons. According to the minister, one factor is the political stagnation of recent years. The mayor did not answer whether anyone had deliberately obstructed the work.

Pleven faces two main challenges: its ageing water infrastructure — where losses in the network reach between 70% and 80% — and the lack of sufficient water sources. Currently, the only supply comes from the Cherni Osam reservoir, which provides a wholly inadequate volume. Plans exist to construct a new reservoir nearby in the future.

At present, residents have running water for around two hours in the morning and two in the evening, though even this schedule is often not kept.

It is still unclear how much a complete overhaul of the water infrastructure will cost, the minister said. In February this year, the head of the local water utility signed a contract with the Ministry of Environment and Water for funding worth BGN 147 million to replace the pipes, of which BGN 110 million will come as non-repayable aid from Brussels.

According to the utility’s management, the project is under way but still at the preparation stage. Additional projects are planned to ensure full pipe replacement and restore normal water supply.

Valentin Hristov – Mayor of Pleven:
“Pleven will revise the projects submitted to the Ministry of Regional Development to include improvements to the network, because this is the city’s main problem. We have about 70% losses in the water supply network. We will submit documents to amend these projects. Next week, drilling for new water sources will begin, and from September, urgent replacement of the water network will start. Pleven has been neglected for years, which is why it is under this severe water rationing.”

Ivan Ivanov – Minister of Regional Development:
“Within two weeks, Pleven Water Utility together with the municipal administration will identify the most critical sites to be replaced in early and mid-September to stop the losses. Next week, procedures will be launched for the preliminary design and technical design for Cherni Osam reservoir to define its parameters, which will resolve the water supply issues for several regions.”

Valentin Hristov – Mayor of Pleven:
“Pleven actually needs 800 litres per second. At present, the flow to Pleven has been drastically reduced, and that’s why the city is under this severe rationing. The situation is truly critical. There is water for about two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon.”