Gheorghe Hajder announced that authorities will install a collection barrier in the Cosauti – Yampil area in the coming hours to capture and gather waste from the Dnister River. The official also said that about 1.5 tons of petroleum products may have spilled into the river.
“Preliminary analyses that started early yesterday will be available this afternoon and will be communicated publicly. We are making sure there is no risk to citizens so that the water supply remains as safe as possible. For now, we maintain the precautionary recommendations issued yesterday,” Hajder said.
The minister also commented on the situation in Balti, where several residents were left without water due to the incident.
“I believe it is important for residents of Balti and other water consumers to remain cautious until we receive the test results,” he added.
Regarding Chisinau, the polluted water has not reached the capital because the Dubasari Dam acts as a natural filter, preventing petroleum substances, which remain on the surface of the water, from passing further downstream.
“We will ensure that these substances are removed from the Dnister so they do not spread further,” the environment minister concluded.
Residents of Balti were left without drinking water on the morning of March 11 after authorities decided to suspend the supply for sanitary safety reasons following the appearance of oil stains on the Dnister River.
On March 10, the Ministry of Environment of Moldova announced that authorities had activated interinstitutional coordination protocols after receiving preliminary information about a possible pollution incident on the Dnister, reportedly caused by discharges upstream.