Moldova taps strategic water reserves amid shallowing of the Dniester River
Photo: Moldova is already drawing water from reserves due to the shallowing of the Dniester River (Getty Images)
Moldova is facing one of its most challenging hydrological situations in recent years. Due to the shallowing of the Dniester River, the country is already drawing water from its strategic reserves, according to ziar.md.
Moldovan Environment Minister Georghe Haider recorded a video message from the shore of the Novodnistrovsk Reservoir in Ukraine, which feeds the Dniester River.
According to him, the reservoir is half empty.
"If last year the average water level was 117 meters, this year we are facing a critical level of 112.9 meters. Compared with the same period last year, we have more than four meters less water," Haider said.
Why strategic reserves are being used
The minister said the main reason is the extremely low inflow from tributaries.
In recent days, the reservoir has been receiving an average of only 30 cubic meters of water per second, while about 85 cubic meters per second are being released to maintain water supplies downstream.
This imbalance is forcing authorities to draw on accumulated reserves.
"The government is making every effort to ensure water supplies for citizens, but we must remember that we are currently using water from the reservoir's strategic reserve. No reserve is unlimited," the minister stressed.
Measures being taken
Haider urged citizens to use water responsibly and rely only on trusted sources of information. At the same time, authorities are working to reduce risks to the water supply system.
The government has provided four additional motor pumps to the utility company Apa-Canal Chisinau, bringing the total number of pumps to five. With a combined capacity of 4,000 cubic meters per hour, the equipment can be used to extract and transport water over long distances if the situation deteriorates further.
What this means for Chișinău
Authorities warn that a reduction in the volume of water released from the reservoir could affect operations at the Vadul lui Vodă intake station, the main source of drinking water for Chișinău. To prevent disruptions, an artificial dam has been built at the facility to maintain the required water level.
As previously reported, Moldova's water crisis has already escalated into a political dispute. Chișinău Mayor Ion Ceban publicly appealed to Volodymyr Zelenskyy to personally help resolve the water supply situation, saying he does not trust his own country's authorities to handle the issue.
Due to the drought and the shallowing of the Dniester River, Moldova has also introduced restrictions on electricity consumption.
