Pivdennoukrainsk to begin the reconstruction of its sewerage system in the second half of 2027

Construction work in the Mykolaiv region. Photo from the «NikVesti» archive, used for illustrative purposes

The reconstruction of two sewerage pumping stations and the construction of a pressure sewerage main in Pivdennoukrainsk are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027. This work will be funded by the Danish government, whilst the project will be implemented by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO).

This is reported in the NikVesti article «Fewer breakdowns and less reliance on electricity: how Pivdennoukrainsk plans to modernise its sewerage system with Danish funding».

NEFCO expects work to begin in July–September 2027. Prior to this, procurement must be carried out, a detailed design prepared, an environmental impact assessment conducted and permits obtained.

«The project itself is expected to take approximately three years to complete,» the article added.

Contractors and suppliers will be selected in accordance with NEFCO’s procedures. The project implementation team and an independent international consultant will oversee procurement, contract management and construction supervision. NEFCO will be responsible for overall coordination and supervision.

«The construction and commissioning phase is preliminarily estimated to take 16–18 months. Therefore, under certain circumstances—one of the main factors being the actual start date of works—the project’s implementation may be extended into the first or second quarter of 2029. We hope that this will not be necessary,» said Mykola Pokrov, Deputy Mayor of Pivdennoukrainsk.

There is currently no exact, agreed launch date for the upgraded system. The next steps are procurement and detailed design. These should provide answers to practical questions: when and in what order the equipment will be replaced, how drainage will be managed during installation, and how long the stations will be able to operate without mains electricity.

It should be recalled that Pivdennoukrainsk was previously unable to sign a grant agreement during the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdańsk, Poland, as the city council had not held any sessions for almost half a year and had not managed to pass the necessary resolution.

City Council Secretary Denys Kravchenko, whilst Mayor Valerii Onufriienko was on sick leave, signed an order convening a session via videoconference for 16 June, even though the deadline for approving the NEFCO agreement was 15 June.

As a result, the city faced the risk of losing €5.2 million in grant funding. Following negotiations with representatives of NEFCO and the then head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitalii Kim, the international partner agreed to extend the deadline for the city council to make a decision.

NikVesti had previously reported that, once the city council had completed all the necessary legal procedures, the parties would be able to proceed directly to signing the grant agreement.

In early July, almost half a year later, councillors of the Pivdennoukrainsk City Council convened for a session and endorsed the decision to sign a grant agreement with the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) to fund the reconstruction of the city’s drainage system.