Kyiv will receive additional generators to ensure the operation of the water utility during power outages. The government has decided to hand over the equipment amid large-scale disruptions in water supply caused by Russian attacks on the capital's energy infrastructure.
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi announced this on November 5.
Under the government's decision, Kyiv will receive 10 additional generators for the water utility. Another 21 generators will go to 12 communities in other regions of Ukraine. The equipment will be funded from the reserve fund of the state budget within the program for providing communities with mobile generation.
Koretskyi stressed that water utilities and sewage systems must have backup power sources so that Russian strikes on the power grid do not lead to water supply interruptions every time. He urged local authorities to speed up the installation and connection of the equipment as much as possible.
The decision came after another major failure in Kyiv's water supply system. On November 3, due to the blackout of key facilities of Kyivvodokanal after Russian attacks, centralized water supply in the capital was temporarily halted. Damage to the energy infrastructure disrupted the operation of water supply equipment.
Restoration work continued all night. By the morning of November 4, water supply was only partially restored, and in some areas, pressure in the networks remained low. To provide residents with water, city authorities began connecting pump room complexes to generators.
Later, Kyivvodokanal reported the full restoration of water supply as of 1:50 p.m. on November 4. According to the enterprise, all water and sewage pumping stations returned to normal operation, and pressure in the networks stabilized.
At the same time, Kyiv still lacks sufficient reserve capacity for fully autonomous power supply of large water supply facilities. Earlier, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that Kyivvodokanal has 103 generators with capacities from 15 kW to 1 MW. However, they are not capable of completely replacing centralized electricity supply for such a large utility.
According to the mayor, backup units help maintain the operation of equipment in emergency situations but are not designed for continuous operation. In addition, after a blackout, specialists need time to switch pumping stations to backup power. For large water supply facilities, the city is expecting additional high-capacity generator systems being manufactured abroad.
However, according to city authorities, Kyiv's sewage system is already fully equipped with backup power sources. The main problem remains ensuring the continuous operation of the water supply infrastructure during prolonged blackouts.
Russian troops continue to attack Ukraine's energy and utility infrastructure. Damage to power grids and generation facilities affects not only electricity supply but also the operation of pumping stations and water supply systems in Ukrainian cities. Because such equipment depends on electricity, even after power is restored, it takes additional time to return water to consumers.
The delivery of new generators should strengthen the resilience of Kyiv's water supply and communities in the regions to repeated Russian attacks. However, the government has not yet specified the capacity of the equipment planned for the capital or the exact timeline for its installation.
Based on materials from: Serhiy Koretskyi, Kyiv City Council, Kyivvodokanal
