Amid ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure and periodic blackouts in Kyiv, the sustainability of utility networks remains a key issue. During a briefing at the Kyiv City State Administration, acting First Deputy Head of the KSCA Petro Panteleev explained how the cessation of water supply affects the capital's sewage system and why, in his view, the load on drainage effectively disappears in such situations.
The Physics of a Unified System
Panteleev emphasized that water supply and drainage form a single technological system requiring constant backup power. "You need to understand the physics of the process here. If water supply ceases, the volume of wastewater decreases to a critical level, meaning there is effectively no load on the sewage system," he explained. Thus, during periods when water is not supplied to homes, the volume of water entering the sewers is minimal, and the risk of overload or accidents in the drainage system at that moment is significantly lower.
Backup Generators and Cabinet Support
The first stage of providing backup power with a capacity of 16 MW was aimed precisely at the most critical facilities, including the drainage system, Panteleev noted. The central government also promises additional support: Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky announced that Kyiv will receive 10 additional generators from the Cabinet of Ministers to ensure the operation of the water utility. These capacities are designed to maintain the functionality of key water supply and drainage nodes in the event of prolonged power outages.
Kyivvodokanal's Perspective: The Drainage Priority
The "Kyivvodokanal" company emphasizes a different aspect of the same problem. Deputy Director General Sergey Gorkutsenko stated in an interview with "Ekonomichna Pravda" that if the sewage system stops, an epidemiological disaster could occur in the city within three days, as people continue to use the drainage system. According to him, there will be no water in the taps without electricity, but the sewage system will continue to work, and it is the priority. Residents of lower floors will suffer the most in such a situation, while water may disappear first on upper floors due to pressure drops. If water supply cannot be restored during prolonged winter blackouts, potable water is planned to be delivered by water trucks.
Heating and Combating Disinformation
Separately, Panteleev reported that it takes about 10 days to fully connect Kyiv homes to heating, with heating being launched in all districts of the capital simultaneously. Commenting on the information landscape, he noted that a lot of conflicting information and manipulations regarding the operation of utility networks are circulating in the public space, and that the authorities are holding such meetings precisely to clarify the situation and provide reliable data.
