Dirty water? Sienkevych pointed to Mykolaiv residents' own pipes

Residents are advised to join together and install polymer risers instead of metal ones

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07 Jul 2026

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After the launch of the new water treatment facilities and the water main in Mykolaiv, KP “Mykolaivvodokanal” began an extensive flushing of the city networks. In May 2026 the utility flushed 70 kilometers of pipes. At the same time, at a staff meeting on 6 July 2026 the mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych, stated that in‑building networks and pipes on private household premises must be serviced and, if necessary, replaced at the owners’ expense.

In practice, the city flushing primarily covers the main lines that are on the balance sheet of KP “Mykolaivvodokanal”. Pipes inside apartment buildings, risers, internal service entries and pipelines on private plots — those are the responsibility of residents, condominium associations, managers or private homeowners.

The mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych, explained at the staff meeting that the network flushing continues, but the issue of internal pipelines is being assigned by the city authorities to the residents themselves.

“During May we flushed 70 kilometers of water mains. The work continues. We all hear this information and see that it is happening. But, again, matters that concern in‑building networks or pipes on private household premises are the personal task of each resident to take care of these pipes and their replacement if needed”

According to the mayor, a large portion of the pipes in multi‑storey buildings and the private sector have not been renewed for decades. Because of this, even after the improvement of water quality at the inlet to the city system, the condition of water in a particular apartment or house may depend on old internal networks that have been corroding for years.

Oleksandr Senkevych gave an example about an acquaintance who cut open an old pipe on his plot and blamed the water for its condition, although, the mayor said, the pipe could have been there for decades.

“Because one of my acquaintances cut a pipe on his plot and says: “Look what your water does.” But his pipe was simply rusted, everything there had rotted. I say: “Friend, maybe it’s time for you to lay a new pipe from the well on the street to your house. Who laid it?” — “I didn’t lay it.” Well, then it’s clear. If you’ve lived there 40 years and haven’t laid that pipe, it means it was put in about 60 years ago, which is why it’s in that condition. So, friends, don’t look for someone to blame, look for ways to bring your networks into order. Cooperate with your neighbors and replace metal risers with plastic, polyethylene ones”

Earlier the government reported that quality drinking water is already being supplied from the taps in Mykolaiv. Corresponding reports and laboratory conclusions were also published. At the same time, for many residents the painful question remains: what condition that water reaches a specific apartment or private house in after passing through old networks.

The new water treatment facilities for the centralized water supply of Mykolaiv were promised to be launched in January 2026, and then brought up to full design capacity. Their construction was financed with savings from the implementation of the new water main.

The water problem for Mykolaiv has continued for more than three years after Russian forces damaged the main water pipeline that supplied the city with quality water. Almost half a million residents were left without stable centralized potable water supply and had to use a backup source with elevated mineralization.

In 2024 a decision was made to lay a new water main from Nova Odesa to Mykolaiv funded by the state budget. Initially the Recovery Service selected several contractors on a “design‑build” basis, but later the customer and the contractor were changed, and construction was concentrated within the Avtostrada group of companies.

The new trunk water main was connected to the networks of KP “Mykolaivvodokanal” on 7 October 2025. Already in November 2025 the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitaliy Kim, suggested that drinking water might appear in residents’ taps within about half a month to a month after the completion of work at the treatment facilities and receipt of laboratory conclusions.

Now, after statements about improved water quality, a new stage of the problem effectively opens in the city: the mains are being flushed by KP “Mykolaivvodokanal”, but the condition of internal networks in buildings and the private sector will have to be resolved by the residents themselves. For people this may mean additional expenses — after years of using water that has already managed to destroy a significant part of the pipelines.

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