Moldovan President Maia Sandu has called on the government, local authorities and institutions responsible for water management to work together to prevent a potential water crisis.
Sandu said the ongoing drought had caused a dramatic decline in water levels in both the Dniester and Prut rivers.
“We now all have one responsibility: to ensure that people have water coming from their taps,” the president said.
According to Maia Sandu, several localities in Moldova are already receiving water supplies from Ukraine according to a schedule due to the low water level in the Dniester.
The level of the Novodnestrovsk reservoir has fallen by more than 10 meters and has reached a critical threshold.
On the Prut River, the released water flow has been reduced to 14 cubic meters per second. Authorities say there are only 72 centimeters left before the water level reaches a point at which water can no longer be discharged through the hydrotechnical system.
The Prut supplies water to localities in the districts of Ungheni, Cahul, Cantemir, Glodeni, Fălești and Leova.
“The government, together with the mayors’ offices and the institutions responsible for this sector, must find common solutions to prevent a crisis. They must carry out all the necessary works at water intake stations and identify and prepare alternative water sources for use,” Maia Sandu said.
“We now all have one responsibility: to ensure that people have water coming from their taps,” the president reiterated.
The critical water levels in the Dniester and possible solutions to maintain water supplies were discussed by Moldovan authorities on Tuesday, September 29.