A new water pipeline that should provide drinking water to residents of four Ukrainian oblasts following Russia’s destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam is 95% complete, the Infrastructure Ministry reported on Jan. 25.
The destruction of the dam in June 2023 led to severe water shortages in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Kherson oblasts, which prompted the government to start building a new major water pipeline.
The pipeline should provide drinking water to about 1.5 million people.
Walls are currently being erected and pumps are being installed at the facility, according to the ministry.
"We are building 11 pumping stations along the whole length of the 145-kilometer water supply system to ensure the highest possible reliability," it said.
"We are also installing pipes and building electrical substations. The next step is to waterproof the walls, lay roofs, and install automated systems."
According to the ministry, the construction is ongoing around the clock, but Russian strikes slow down the work in some areas.
The government allocated Hr 1.5 billion ($40 million) in June 2023 to construct the water pipeline in southern Ukraine to restore centralized water supply to areas impacted by the Kakhovka dam disaster. The construction started in July 2023.
Nate Ostiller
