Due to a fault in the sewer system in Mykolaiv, the basements of buildings are being flooded with sewage

In Mykolaiv, the basements of four high-rise blocks have been flooded by sewage. Photo from the Mykolaiv City Council’s Contact Centre group

In Mykolaiv, residents of buildings at 19, 21, 23 and 29 Yevhenii Lohinov Street are complaining about their basements being flooded with water and sewage. According to them, the problem has been ongoing for several weeks.

This is evidenced by residents’ posts in the Contact Centre group on the Mykolaiv City Council’s page.

Alona Vasylkova, a resident of one of the buildings, reports that there is a strong, unpleasant smell in the entrance halls and flats due to the flooding. People are also expressing concern about potential health risks.

«The worst thing is that small children are breathing this in. We are literally living above a cesspit, whilst the responsible authorities completely ignore the problem. All appeals, requests and complaints go unanswered. No one wants to take responsibility, whilst residents are putting their health at risk,» people complain.

In Mykolaiv, the basements of four high-rise buildings have been flooded by sewage. Photo from the Contact Centre group at Mykolaiv City Council

In Mykolaiv, the basements of four high-rise buildings have been flooded by sewage. Photo from the Contact Centre group at Mykolaiv City Council

In a comment to NikVesti, Mykolaivvodokanal explained that the problem is linked to the dilapidated state of the sewerage main serving this neighbourhood.

According to the company, the sewerage network was built around 50 years ago using reinforced concrete and asbestos cement pipes. Due to its long service life and the effects of gas corrosion, the network has deteriorated significantly and has become unsuitable for further use.

As a result of the collapse of the main near building №19, a sinkhole has formed. To prevent sewage from entering the basements, daily pumping of sewage has been organised at the site.

«The collector will be replaced and repaired. However, this site is currently on the waiting list for work. We have several such incidents in the city, and we are unable to repair and restore them all at once. Therefore, equipment is being installed at this site and the sewage is being pumped out,» the company reported.

Mykolaivvodokanal does not yet know the timeframe for the work. For now, the situation is being managed using a temporary sewage pumping system.

It was previously reported that Mykolaiv’s sewerage networks are in a critical state, and sewer collapses in the city occur virtually every week.

It should be recalled that the former head of the Mykolaivvodokanal municipal enterprise, Borys Dudenko, had previously spoken about the problem of the poor condition of the section of the sewer collector beneath the «Strasse» market in the Namyv neighbourhood. He noted that the market stalls are located directly above a concrete sewer, which has suffered significant gas corrosion and is in a state of disrepair.