Chisinau prepares emergency water plan amid low Dniester levels
The municipality of Chisinau is preparing emergency contingency plans for potential water supply disruptions driven by falling water levels in the Dniester River and an ongoing regional hydrological drought.
Local authorities announced they have mapped hundreds of emergency distribution sites across the capital and prepared specialized transport vehicles to ensure uninterrupted delivery to residents and vital institutions.
Mayor General Ion Ceban stated that municipal agencies are establishing preventive protocols for various risk scenarios, while technical works continue at the main water intake station on the Dniester.
"We are taking all necessary steps to ensure full operational readiness. Alongside complex engineering works carried out over the past two weeks at the intake station, we have finalized intervention protocols and mobilized required equipment," Ceban said.
Distribution network and logistic assets
The city has designated a network of 213 emergency intervention points across all municipal sectors. These locations are strategic points for deploying mobile water tanks:
75 public locations accessible to residents 108 kindergartens 30 medical facilities
According to municipal officials, these sites were selected to provide rapid access for citizens and safeguard critical social infrastructure against prolonged outages.
To support emergency logistics, Chisinau has prepared 253 Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) for storage, 20 water tankers, and 45 specialized utility vehicles. The equipment can transport both industrial-grade and potable water depending on crisis severity.
Alternative sources and regional context
Beyond Dniester surface intake, the capital can tap into alternative underground reserves. The city maintains 26 operational artesian wells capable of supplying up to 32,000 ㎥ of water daily. Additionally, the Chisinau Limestone Mine can supply up to 5,000 ㎥ per day for technical and non-potable domestic use.
The situation along the Dniester remains under joint monitoring by Moldovan and Ukrainian authorities following severe hydrological drought. Ukrainian officials indicated readiness to coordinate emergency measures if river flow continues to decline.
Moldovan Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder confirmed ongoing bilateral communication to manage the discharge rates. On July 31, the joint Dniester Commission agreed to temporarily reduce water release from the Novodnestrovsk reservoir from 100 ㎥/s to 85 ㎥/s for a two-week period.
The decision follows the Moldovan government's declaration of a 30-day national hydrological alert on July 28. In response, Chisinau’s Commission for Exceptional Situations established sector-level task forces to monitor municipal water reserves, fuel supplies, and emergency response capabilities.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
