Bulgaria’s Water Crisis: Why Shortages Are Spreading Across Towns and Villages

Bulgaria is facing an escalating water crisis, raising the question: how did a country with significant natural resources reach a point where entire towns are struggling for drinking water?

In Breznik, residents have lived under a water regime since November 2024. The drinking water reservoir that supplies the town has shrunk to the point of looking like a puddle, and the reduced volume has caused higher levels of manganese contamination. Stella Panova, who organizes local protests, told Bulgarian National Radio that while long-term plans involve connecting the town to another dam, the short-term measures focus on drilling in nearby villages.

According to Panova, the water supply system in Breznik has been partially renewed, yet leaks persist across the network, both in the town itself and in surrounding villages. Residents rely on a few large containers placed around the community, but these provide far too little water for a population of nearly 4,000. People have resorted to digging private wells or building tanks in their yards, only to fill them again with manganese-polluted water. Frustration has boiled over, and a petition demanding access to clean drinking water has already been launched.

Experts agree that Bulgaria does not suffer from a lack of natural water resources. Both surface and underground sources exist, but the problem lies in governance and management. Prof. Petar Kalinkov, Deputy Chairman of the Bulgarian Water Association and lecturer at UACEG, explained that the real key is reducing losses in the water supply system. This cannot be achieved simply by replacing parts of the network, he said, but requires active monitoring of visible leaks and systematic detection of hidden ones.

Kalinkov also pointed out the need for deep drilling in the three water supply zones of Pleven, which currently depend on shaft wells. However, the Basin Directorate rejected this proposal. Another possible solution, he added, is the long-discussed construction of the “Cherni Osam” dam. He emphasized that this project is not connected with Troyan, which already has its own water supply.

Former environment minister Assen Lichev also highlighted the role of infrastructure. If Bulgaria had invested in building more dams, he argued, towns like Breznik would not now be facing strict regimes. For him, however, the broader priority remains the same: to reduce water losses in every supply network across the country, especially in places reliant on surface water sources.

The crisis has revealed two parallel truths. On one hand, Bulgaria has the water reserves to avoid shortages; on the other, poor management, old infrastructure, and delayed projects have left communities vulnerable. Unless losses are reduced and long-term infrastructure solutions are pursued, the situation in Breznik may prove to be a warning of wider problems ahead.

Source: BNR interview