Mykolaiv region — third in Ukraine for new water debts: "Mykolaivvodokanal" filed 2,100 cases

During January–August 2026, 2 191 enforcement proceedings were opened in the Mykolaiv region for arrears in water supply and sewage. By the number of new cases, the region took third place in Ukraine, behind only Dnipropetrovsk region and Sumy region. This is evidenced by data from the analytical platform “Opendatabot”, published on 25 September 2026.

Overall, in the first 8 months of 2026 24 696 new enforcement proceedings were opened in Ukraine over water debts.

• The largest number of such cases was recorded in Dnipropetrovsk region — 6 923, or 28% of the total.
• In second place was Sumy region — 3 662 proceedings, or 15%.
• Mykolaiv region, with 2 191 new proceedings, took third position.
• Next were Poltava region — 1 873 cases — and Khmelnytskyi region — 1 415.

At the same time, the total number of new proceedings over water debts decreased this year. Compared with the same period last year, there were 19% fewer. Nevertheless, the number of debts already in the forced collection system remains significant. As of the beginning of September 2026, the Unified Debtors Register contained 173 075 enforcement proceedings for non-payment of water supply and sewage. Approximately 64% of them have already been closed. However, the closure of an enforcement proceeding does not necessarily mean the debt was repaid.

Thus, every tenth active proceeding over a water debt appeared in the Unified Debtors Register in 2026. Analysts also separately examined the age of the people against whom new proceedings were opened. The largest share of such cases falls on Ukrainians aged 46 to 60 — 8 335 proceedings, or 33.8% of the total. Another 6 380 proceedings, or 25.8%, concern people aged 36 to 45. More than 5.2 thousand new cases — 5 221, or 21.1% — fall on people over 60 years old. Among people aged 25 to 35 there were 3 759 proceedings, or 15.2%. For Ukrainians under 25 years old, 1 001 proceedings were opened, which is 4.1%.

Separately, “Opendatabot” named the companies whose claims most often led to enforcement proceedings over water debts this year.

• In first place was “Kryvbasvodokanal” — 3 653 proceedings, or almost 15% of all new cases in Ukraine.
• Second place went to “Miskvodokanal” of the Sumy City Council — 3 153 proceedings, or 13%.
• Third on the list was the municipal enterprise “Mykolaivvodokanal” — 2 100 new enforcement proceedings.
• Next are KP DOR “Aulskyi vodovid” — 1 699 proceedings — and the municipal enterprise “Khmelnytskvodokanal” — 1 309.

The problem of accumulating water debts for Mykolaiv is not new. Back in 2023, thousands of enforcement cases against city residents were reported. According to data cited then, as of 20 June 2023 there were 2 493 decisions to enforce the collection of debts for consumed water and sewage totaling more than 32 million hryvnias.

At the same time, the financial situation of the municipal enterprise “Mykolaivvodokanal” itself remains difficult. In January 2026, Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych said that the current water tariff for the population does not cover the company’s operating costs. According to him, a large part of the water utility’s expenses are energy carriers, the prices of which have risen significantly since 2021.

In June it became known that “Mykolaivvodokanal” is ready to spend 1.24 million hryvnias on the services of a private agency to recover 6.2 million hryvnias of consumer debts. And in September a decision was made in Mykolaiv to raise the sewage tariff. From 1 October 2026 its cost is to increase by 24 hryvnias and will amount to 41.25 hryvnias per cubic meter. At the same time, the tariff for centralized water supply for the population was promised not to be changed until the end of the year.

According to “Opendatabot”, since March 2026 tariffs for centralized water supply and sewage are temporarily set by local self-government bodies or military administrations. Because of this, service costs can vary significantly between different regions and communities of Ukraine. Analysts also note that since June 2026 communities across the country have begun to massively review water tariffs. Meanwhile, the problem of debts remains relevant for both consumers and the enterprises that provide water supply and sewage services.

Previously we wrote:

• Kilometers of new pipes and dozens of projects: “Mykolaivvodokanal” summed up quarterly results
• To recover UAH 6.2 million in debts, “Mykolaivvodokanal” is ready to pay collectors UAH 1.24 million
• “Mykolaivvodokanal” is heading into a deep deficit: losses may exceed UAH 665 million
• The water tariff in Mykolaiv does not cover the water utility’s costs
• Almost 3,000 enforcement cases: Mykolaiv residents owed money for water