A year after residents’ complaints, the basement of a block of flats in Mykolaiv was once again flooded with sewage: the water utility has identified the cause
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- Alina KvitkoReporter
The state of the drainage system at 15a Teatralna Street in Mykolaiv. Photo taken by residents of the building in 2025Residents of the building at 35A Teatralna Street in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv have once again complained about the basement being flooded with sewage. They publicly raised a similar issue a year ago, but it has still not been fully resolved. «Mykolaivvodokanal» say the cause may be linked to the shop on the ground floor of the building and the condition of the building’s internal pipework.
Nataliia Li, a resident of the building, reported the latest flooding in the Contact Centre group on the Mykolaiv City Council’s page, according to NikVesti.
According to her, residents have been suffering for years from the basement being flooded with sewage, but numerous appeals to the utility services have yielded no results.
«This isn’t just another incident — it’s the hell we’ve been living through for years. For many years now, our block has been constantly flooded with sewage. This isn’t our internal drainage; we have absolutely nothing to do with this sewage — it’s the city’s sewage, which simply flows into our basement because the system is blocked,» the woman wrote.
She claims that she has repeatedly approached the management of the water utility and sent official letters requesting that the problem be resolved.
«I have personally visited the director of the water utility on numerous occasions, submitted official letters and appealed to every possible authority. And what has come of it? Years go by, yet the problem remains unresolved. We’re still being flooded, and the building is falling apart due to damp and unsanitary conditions,» she added.
According to residents, sewage is once again flowing into the basement of the block of flats due to blocked drains. People are complaining about the pungent smell and are concerned for their health.
In the comments on the post, a resident of the block, Mykola Belonohov, pointed out that there are families with young children living in the building.
«This isn’t just an unpleasant smell or a minor incident — it’s a direct threat to our health. We’re breathing in these fumes, walking past the flooded basement and waiting every day for the Mykolaivvodokanal municipal utility to do its job,» he wrote.
In a comment to NikVesti, the water utility’s press office stated that the company has long been aware of the problem at 35A Teatralna Street. Between 2025 and 2026 alone, 11 repeat blockages of the sewerage network were recorded at this address.
During the most recent inspection, the company says, a depressurised pipe and a blockage in a sump pit were discovered. However, the sump pit itself is not on the water utility’s books.
«Wastewater enters the basement from the section between the sump pit and the building’s wall. The sump pit is not recorded on the books of the municipal utility «Mykolaivvodokanal» and is maintained by the property owner,» the utility explained.
The water utility cited the operations of the «Mushlia» shop, which is located on the ground floor of the building and processes fish products, as one of the causes of the regular blockages.
According to the company, production waste enters the building’s internal drainage system, causing grease build-up in the network.
«According to the technical specifications, the shop must have a separate drain outlet from the premises. The presence of the shop leads to a high level of grease build-up in the sewerage system,» the water utility reported.
They also noted that the issue of network reconstruction and rectifying the causes of flooding falls within the remit of the management company and the building’s owner.
It should be recalled that NikVesti had already reported on this problem in the summer of 2025. At the time, residents of 35A Teatralna Street stated that the sewer manholes near the building became blocked almost every two days, and that sewage, instead of being carried away by the network, was flowing into the basement.
Residents complained of a constant stench in their flats, damp walls and the risk of structural damage to the building due to years of flooding. In response, representatives of «Mykolaivvodokanal» stated that they had taken the complaint on board. However, a year after the issue was brought to public attention, residents are once again reporting a basement flooded with sewage and claim that the problem has still not been resolved.
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.