Residents of a block of flats in Mykolaiv are complaining about constant sewerage leaks
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- Alona KokhanchukReporter
In Mykolaiv, residents of a block of flats are complaining about constant sewerage leaks. Photo courtesy of local residentsIn Mykolaiv, residents of the block of flats at 130A Kosmonavtiv Street are complaining about constant sewerage leaks in the basement. According to them, the problem has been going on for over a month, and calls to the emergency services only provide a temporary solution.
This was reported to NikVesti by local resident Kostiantyn Ponurenko.
He said that the emergency services had visited the site on several occasions and repaired the pipe, but the problem would recur within a few hours.
«We’ve called the emergency services many times. They come in the evening, fix the pipe, and by morning it’s the same again. You can’t breathe in the flat,» the man says.
Due to the constant stench, the family were forced to temporarily leave their flat and move in with relatives in Snihurivka.
«The stench is so bad that my family and I had to go to my parents’ house. What’s more, there are large cockroaches crawling on the walls,» says Kostiantyn Ponurenko.
The resident adds that the chair of the homeowners’ association is aware of the problem and has contacted «Mykolaivvodokanal», but, according to him, the situation remains unresolved.
According to the chairman of the homeowners’ association, the cause of the regular burst pipes may be blocked sewerage networks on the neighbouring streets. Because of this, the pipe constantly bursts at the weakest point in the system.
To investigate the situation, NikVesti contacted «Mykolaivvodokanal». The company reported that specialists had visited the address and determined that the problem was not related to external networks.
«The basement contains internal networks, for which the owners’ association is responsible. We only work on external networks,» the company’s press office stated.
It should be recalled that residents of Namyv complained of a foul odour near the «Apelsin» residential complex. They discovered a ditch through which water with an unpleasant smell was flowing and subsequently entering the estuary. It has emerged that the cause of the sewage discharge was a fault in the water utility’s main sewer, which occurred back in mid-June. However, the sewage has not yet been pumped out.
The State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District told NikVesti that as early as 18 June, a complaint had been made to the government’s «hotline» regarding the discharge of sewage into the Bug Estuary. On 23 June, specialists from the environmental inspectorate surveyed the Zavodskyi district along the «Zolnyi» and «Chornomorets» garage cooperatives.
We would also like to remind you that in Mykolaiv, sewage from the Namyv neighbourhood has been flowing into the Bug Estuary for several weeks now. The water utility explained that the cause was a collapse in the sewer main, and that the leak could not be quickly repaired due to a shortage of staff. Meanwhile, the State Environmental Inspectorate has confirmed the pollution of the water body.
This material was produced within the REACH – Media Partnerships for Accountability and Trust project, implemented by International Media Support (IMS) and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The content reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Danish government. Denmark’s support strengthens civil society and independent media in Ukraine, including in Mykolaiv.