22 Quarters of Sofia to Face Dry Summer

Sofia's Deputy Mayor for investments and construction, Irina Savina, has presented Thursday the schedule for the water regime. Photo by BGNES

About 22 quarters, villages and exurbs of Southern Sofia will be under water-supply restrictions in July and August, due to overhaul of part of the Rila water-conduit.

Bankya, Gorna Banya, Knyazhevo, Dragalevtsi, and the villages Pancharevo, Bistritsa and Zheleznitsa will be among the areas under the water regime.

Sofia's Deputy Mayor for investments and construction, Irina Savina, presented on Thursday the schedule for the regime. She promised to personally send letters to the affected households and apologize for the inconvenience. The letters will also include a detailed explanation why the regime is needed and the exact schedule with the dates when the water would be stopped.

Savina has stated that the affected households will be more than 22 000, adding that according to the concessionary contracts between the water company “Sofijska voda” and Sofia's municipality, the water must not be stopped for more than 12 hours per day.

The Deputy Mayor has said that the concessioner has demanded a special permission for stopping the water for a longer period.

“If we stop the water for 12 hours, then the number of the interruptions should be 40, instead of 14, and that would be more inconvenient for the people,” “Sofijska voda” has said.

Savina has explained that the reason for the water regime is that part of the Rila water-conduit is in a very bad condition.

“It has been built between 1924 and 1933. Out of 82 km, only 200 m will be repaired. The rest of the conduit is in a satisfactory condition,” she said.

Representatives of the Sofia municipality have not met yet the French “Veolia”, which is the new owner of “Sofijska voda”.

“We received a letter from “Sofijska voda” that the investment program of the holding will be executed and will continue the good dialogue with the municipality that has been going on for 3 years now,” Savina said.

“The deal for the sale has not been completed yet. When this happens the new owners will have a meeting with Sofia mayor Yordanka Fandakova and the chair of the municipal council Andrey Ivanov,” she said.

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