Water crisis in Soroca: Residents haul well water; authorities supply tankers
Many residents of Soroca are still without tap water, and by Wednesday, March 18, several neighborhoods in the city may have their water supply completely cut off. Authorities are exploring alternative water supply solutions, and the municipal enterprise "Apa-Canal" is working to restart the artesian wells in the village of Egoreni.
For the past two days, residents of Soroca have had to fetch water from nearby wells because the taps have run dry. This is particularly challenging for the elderly.
"It's hard; it's really hard. We have new wells, but they provide only a small amount of water, just enough for cooking. We understand the situation, but we at least need water for the toilet and for washing," one resident said.
Another resident added, "It's difficult; there’s no water for the toilet. It's clear that it's hard. We bring water from the well in small pots and bottles."
In response to the crisis, schools have made water reserves to ensure that students and staff have enough until the situation improves.
"We have stored water in containers that were previously used for the school cafeteria and for restrooms, which should last us almost three days. Primary classes are provided with drinking water, while senior classes are advised to bring a water bottle," stated Anatolie Iavorschi, the director of the "Ion Creangă" Theoretical Lyceum.
The "Aqua-Nord" enterprise has halted water extraction from the Nistru three days ago. Since then, the city has been relying on water supplied from the municipal enterprise's tanks.
Currently, the tank at "Aqua-Nord" contains 1.5 meters of water, which is only sufficient to supply the hospital's first and second floors. This is due to the need to raise water pressure, which doesn't reach the upper floors. Nicolae Sandu, deputy director of "Aqua-Nord," stated, “We cannot tell you how long it will take, but if 'Aqua-Nord' resumes operations, it will take some time for drinking water to reach consumers.”
Since the water in the tanks will only last for a few hours, the Commission for Emergencies has decided to distribute water to neighborhoods using tankers. Veaceslav Rusnac, president of the Commission for Emergencies mentioned, “We take responsibility for supplying educational institutions with drinking water. We know that if the wells in Egoreni are operational, it will still be problematic in the municipality's hilly areas. We are prepared to transport both technical water and drinking water using tankers.”
This temporary solution will remain in place until the artesian wells in Egoreni, which have been non-functional for over 20 years, are restored. Of the ten existing wells, four have recently been renovated but are not yet operational. Igor Focșa, an engineer at Apă-Canal Soroca, explained, “The flow at the wells is substantial, and we are working hard to get the pumping station operational and to chlorinate the pools. We are currently awaiting the results of the analysis.”
The wells in Egoreni will only be activated once the water analysis confirms it is safe for consumption. To ensure this, several samples have been taken and sent to a laboratory in Chișinău for testing.
