“I hope that by the end of this month, the project will be fully completed, and then there will be stages of transferring it to operation, as the water supply system will be operated by local companies as well,” said the Head of the Recovery Agency.

The water supply network will provide water to more than one and a half million people. The project covers the cities of Tomakivka, Marhanets, Nikopol, Pokrov, Inhulets, and Kryvyi Rih. This is the most industrialized region of the country, which provides the lion’s share of our GDP, so restoring the water supply is critically important not only for people but also for the economy.

The construction of the water supply system began immediately after the explosion of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station. In 7 months, both design works and material delivery and pipe installation were carried out. There was an issue with the pipes, as only 25% of the required amount was available in Ukraine. Other countries, particularly Romania and Poland, helped with this. There was also a problem with the pumps.

According to him, such large projects face a lack of funding. At the initial stage, the project costs much less than when it is completed because construction always requires more funds: “All of these funds are confirmed. We have passed all the expertise, including a technical audit conducted by an independent foreign company. The State Audit Office is also conducting a separate check. I hope this project will become a showcase for our country and our Agency in terms of transparency in the use of funds, prices, and technical solutions.”

The project is funded by the Special Fund for the Elimination of the Consequences of Russian Aggression.