Vodokanal predicts tariff of up to ₴100 per cubic metre in Mykolaiv after launch of new treatment plants

A pumping station that pumps water to Mykolaiv. Photo by NikVesti

After the new treatment facilities are launched, the water tariff for Mykolaiv could be up to 100 hryvnias per cubic metre. However, during martial law, it is forbidden to increase it for the population.

This is stated in the article NikVesti «When will Mykolaiv get drinking water in the taps and how much will it cost?».

The announced tariff is indicative, said Vasyl Telpis, acting general director of «Mykolaivvodokanal». The final figures, he added, will depend on the amount of reagents, water quality and the launch of solar power plants.

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«We have already calculated approximately. We haven't changed the tariff since 2021, and it's working now. We have calculated all the costs, including electricity costs and so on, which have increased. Today, a cubic metre of water will cost up to 100 hryvnias,» he said.

«I see. That's a lot. Give us a calculation. We will work with it,» replied Vitalii Kim.

Currently, Mykolaiv has a tariff that was set in January 2022. It amounts to 34.044 hryvnias per cubic metre of water: 17,532 hryvnias for water supply and 16,512 hryvnias for sewage.

Serhii Sukhomlyn, head of the State Agency for Reconstruction, says that «the cost of water itself will be lower starting next year, when solar power plants» start operating. According to him, frequency converters and an automated system will also reduce the cost of water.

The increase in tariffs is prohibited during the period of martial law, Vitalii Kim reminded. He promised to do everything possible to ensure that Mykolaiv residents receive water at the lowest possible price.

«We, on our part, will make every effort to ensure that Mykolaiv residents receive water at the lowest possible price. This process consists of two blocks: technical and administrative. Technically, we will have the latest equipment, water supply and treatment plants. Technically, all this will be done. The administrative part remains. And there is the reform of the water utility, where a supervisory board with international partners and anti-corruption representatives is being introduced, which will actually take into account and calculate the cost of water for Mykolaiv residents. I primarily see resources and reserves to reduce the price — this is inefficient management. This is not an insult to the people who work here. This is an old system of utility companies that includes these indicators in the calculation. We will work with this and continue to organise the city water utility,» said Vitalii Kim.

As a reminder, new water treatment facilities for centralised water supply in Mykolaiv are being built at the expense of funds saved during the construction of a new water supply system. The purified water is expected to be launched in January, but the water treatment plant will be fully operational in March 2026.

A water supply system for Mykolaiv. A little history

It's been more than three years since Russian troops damaged the water supply pipeline that supplied Mykolaiv with water. Since then, the city of almost half a million people has been without a centralised supply of quality water.

All this time, Mykolaiv residents have been receiving water from a backup source, which raises many questions about the quality of such water and the salt content in its composition. The salt water damaged 1,200 kilometres of the city's water supply network. Borys Dudenko, director of «Mykolaivvodokanal», said that it is impossible to replace the entire length of the network that was damaged by the salt water supply.

For a long time, representatives of state and local authorities have been looking for ways to restore drinking water supply in Mykolaiv. The final solution was found in 2024: a new water supply line would be laid from Nova Odesa, and the money was allocated from the state budget.

The regional recovery service even selected contractors who will work according to the principle of «design-build». They are three companies, each of which is responsible for one of the three work areas: «Ukrtransmist», «Rostdorstroi» and «Avtostrada». However, later both the client and the construction contractor were changed. The customer for the new water pipeline was the Service for Infrastructure Restoration and Development in Dnipropetrovsk region, and the contractor was the group of companies «Avtostrada».