Sienkevych showed journalists the condition of the storm drain in Dormashin

The Mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, and the head of the municipal enterprise «ELU Avtodorig», Vitalii Shevchenko, conducted an inspection of the main storm drain №4 in the «Dormashyna» district with journalists.

NikVesti found out how the municipal services clear it after rainfall, what repair work is being carried out, and what the general condition of the culvert is at present.

The collector is over three kilometres long. It collects water from the city centre — from Admiralska and Kropyvnytskyi Streets — and then runs towards Mariupolska Street to Tsentralnyi Avenue. It then flows into the Southern Bug River near the seaport.

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Vitalii Shevchenko, director of the municipal enterprise «ELU Avtodorig», explained that it was only after the cleaning that they realised the channel continues behind the ATB supermarket, and that this section had previously been silted up almost to the top.

«It needs to be cleaned out constantly. But here, unfortunately, it’s not possible to use heavy machinery, or even a small loader that could drive around and clear all this away. Firstly, because diesel or petrol cannot be used here, as it’s harmful to people. Secondly, because space is very limited and everything has to be done by hand,» explained Oleksandr Sienkevych.

As a reminder, at the end of May, several streets were flooded following a heavy downpour, but the worst flooding was recorded near the «Dormashyna» bus stop, close to the ATB supermarket. There, the water flooded the carriageway and around 20 parked cars.

The flooded Dormashyna area after the May downpour in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

A flooded car in the car park near ATB following the bad weather in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

According to Vitalii Shevchenko, around 26 million tonnes of water entered the drainage system during this downpour.

«In fact, over 23 minutes we recorded a drop in the water level to 20 cm. In other words, the level is falling slowly because it takes a long time for the water to drain from the streets and other drainage systems. That’s not a bad result. But we must realise that the system cannot cope with such volumes of rainfall in a short space of time. It needs to be expanded tenfold. In some cities, such drains look like rivers: they do not dry up, but their levels fluctuate during downpours,» said Vitalii Shevchenko.

Oleksandr Sienkevych noted that, due to climate change, such downpours will become more frequent, so the city needs to consider engineering solutions to increase the collector’s capacity and alter its geometric parameters.

«So, broadly speaking, if we are to stop worrying about flooding during downpours, we need either to deepen the system — which is the cheapest option, but across its entire length — or to widen it. But this is the most expensive option, as it involves building supports, structures and walls. In short, the system needs to be overhauled,» says Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Oleksandr Sienkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

The mayor also explained that some people are still trying to avoid connecting to the sewerage system via pipes, instead discharging their wastewater into storm drains across the city. They drill holes in underground pipes and try to direct the discharge through the drain into the river, but staff from the municipal utility company eventually plug these holes.

«We find them, of course, and we deal with them. As for those who do connect, we’ve been working with the water utility to address these people: issuing warnings, imposing fines and so on. When people make unauthorised connections, we plug the pipes with concrete and seal them off, so they can no longer discharge water. But then the sewage level in their homes starts to rise due to the illegal connection to the stormwater network. Why is it forbidden to connect? Because sewage must be treated at the water utility’s treatment works, with bacteria and so on, whereas the stormwater drain simply flows into the river,» says Oleksandr Sienkevych.

He also noted that there have been cases where people’s sewer pipes were bricked up, only for them to break through the wall again.

«We didn’t realise this straight away, as we thought we’d already sorted everything out, but then we took a different approach. In other words, we dug up the pipes nearby, pulled them out and filled the holes with concrete, after which they could no longer reconnect. Are they held accountable in any way? The district administration draws up a report and fines them. Well, the situation is more or less under control now,» explained Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Vitalii Shevchenko, head of the municipal enterprise «ELU Avtodorig». Photo: NikVesti

The mayor recalled that during an inspection of this sewer in 2024, the water level was significantly higher at the time — in some places it reached almost a metre, and they had to make their way through the pipes.

«Let me tell you, the last time I was here, there was water everywhere. In some places, as we crawled through the pipes, it was knee-deep, and even seeped onto our clothes a little. What did we do? We cut out two pipes that were effectively choking this sewer. These were large through-pipes that were reducing its flow capacity. Because of this, the water level dropped from 2.40 metres to 1.20 metres. We dismantled them in collaboration with the water utility and redirected the water flow. The task now is to clean it out completely and, if possible, to work with international partners to find a solution for mechanised cleaning,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

He added that the final stage of the clean-up is currently underway, and that the involvement of contractors is being considered due to the large volume of work.

The condition of the main storm drain №4 in the Dormashyna district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Journalists and the mayor inspected the condition of the main storm drain № 4 in the Dormashyna district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Journalists and the mayor inspected the condition of the main storm drain №4 in the Dormashyna district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Journalists and the mayor inspected the condition of the main storm drain №4 in the Dormashyna district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Journalists and the mayor inspected the condition of the main storm drain №4 in the Dormashyna district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Journalists and the mayor inspected the condition of the main storm drain №4 in the Dormashyna district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Journalists and the mayor inspected the condition of the main storm drain №4 in the Dormashyna district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Journalists and the mayor inspected the condition of the main storm drain №4 in the Dormashyna district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

In the summer of 2021, the Department of Housing and Communal Services of Mykolaiv City Council commissioned a project to construct stormwater drains on Tsentralnyi Avenue. At the time, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych suggested that City Council member Vladyslav Chaika take responsibility for and oversee the project from start to finish.

In 2023, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych told NikVesti that the stormwater drain at «Dormashyna» in Mykolaiv had been reconstructed. According to him, this should have prevented further flooding.

However, in June 2024, following heavy rainfall, «Dormashyna» was flooded, as has become customary.

Previously, the head of the Central District administration, Oleksandr Bereza, had stated that the district is constantly flooded during rainfall because an ancient river once flowed through this area.

In July 2024, Mykolaiv’s mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, personally descended into the storm drain to inspect its condition for himself.

Last year, municipal workers cleared around 108 tonnes of rubbish from the storm drain on Central Avenue in the «Dormashyna» area. This spot remains one of the most problematic in the city — the drain becomes blocked more frequently than any other.