The pipes burst again: sewage was discharged into the storm drain in Mykolaiv

In Mykolaiv, utility workers sealed illegal household sewer connections to the city’s stormwater drainage system on 5th Teplany Lane. The work was carried out after residents complained about foul odors and poor rainwater drainage.

The issue was addressed with the involvement of specialists from ELU Avtodorihy Municipal Enterprise and Mykolaivvodokanal Municipal Enterprise. Representatives of the Zavodskyi District Administration documented the violations and took appropriate action.

It turned out that some homeowners had illegally routed household sewage pipes into the stormwater system. These connections were removed last year, but the violators later made new holes in the pipes to discharge waste.

“In summer, we couldn’t even let the children play in the yard because of the persistent unpleasant smell coming from the grates. Water doesn’t drain properly after rain because everything is clogged,” said one local resident.

The stormwater system is designed to drain only rainwater and melting snow. When household wastewater enters it, grease, sediment, and sludge build up on the pipe walls. This causes blockages and significantly reduces the collector’s capacity.

Illegal connections also pose a threat to the environment: pollutants can enter the city’s bodies of water. In warm weather, fumes from sewage create a persistent stench in residential neighborhoods.

To restore proper drainage, utility workers carried out a range of tasks:

• sealed the unauthorized connections;
• pumped accumulated sediment, sludge, and stagnant water out of the wells;
• manually cleaned the stormwater inlets;
• after cleaning, flushed the collector pipes using high-pressure hydro-jetting.

Unauthorized interference with the city’s drainage system violates public-maintenance regulations and may result in administrative liability. Utility services urged residents not to connect household sewage to the stormwater system and to comply with the established requirements.

We previously reported:

• Before the rains, collectors are being cleaned in Mykolaiv: one was 90% clogged
• Treasures from sewer pipes: what Mykolaiv utility workers find during clean-outs
• Residents paid Mykolaivvodokanal UAH 5 million in fines for unauthorized connections in one year
• “We’ll punish those bastards too, the ones dumping their shit in the river,” says Mykolaiv mayor
• “Fight this harshly and ruthlessly,” Senkevich urged people to destroy illegal connections to storm drains