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Minus 10°C and 20 hours without electricity: in Kyiv, apartment buildings may experience freezing of systems
If Kyiv remains without power in winter for up to 20 hours per day and the temperature drops to -10°C, the capital could suffer widespread disruptions to water supply and freezing of internal building systems. In the worst-case scenario this could lead to a municipal collapse in high-rise buildings. At the same time Kyiv Water Utility will strive to preserve sewerage, as a prolonged stoppage of the sewage system poses sanitary-epidemiological risks.
The risks for the capital were described by Sergei Gorkusyenko, Deputy General Director of Kyivvodokanal, in an interview with the Economic Truth.
Four hours of electricity: how water supply will work
According to Gorkusyenko, water supply directly depends on the stability of power supply. Significant voltage fluctuations damage the enterprise's electrical equipment, much of which dates back to 1970-s years.
If electricity is unavailable for a long time, the water utility will not be able to supply water to the city network in full. The representative of the enterprise explained: in a scenario where electricity is available only four hours a day, water will be supplied during periods of power restoration. When electricity disappears, supply will be stopped, but water will be attempted to be preserved in the networks.
However, this does not mean that water will guaranteedly be in every apartment. In particular, on upper floors of high-rise buildings, interruptions may occur due to the shutdown of internal building pumps that maintain the necessary pressure.
At the same time, Gorkusyenko emphasized that the enterprise will do everything possible for uninterrupted system operation. In case repairs that require water supply shutdown are needed, he said, drinking water will be delivered by water tankers.
Cold and long outages can lead to frozen buildings
One of the biggest risks arises when long power outages coincide with low air temperatures.
According to Kyivvodokanal's representative, if the temperature is around -10°C and there is no electricity for about 20 hours per day, the risk of freezing internal building systems will significantly rise. He called such a scenario a collapse and recalled cases where risers and heating systems in buildings froze.
After pipes freeze, restoration can be difficult and lengthy. Last winter, according to Gorkusyenko, to thaw the networks they used blowtorches, gas welding equipment, and other means. He claims that part of the heating systems in some buildings could not be restored to this day.
An additional problem is created by apartments whose residents have left abroad or temporarily left the city. To repair risers, specialists sometimes need to enter such dwellings, but this is not always possible.
Why sewage is more important than water
Gorkusyenko separately emphasized the crucial importance of sewage. In his words, if drinking water is not available, it can be delivered by water tankers or distribution points can be organized. Meanwhile, a prolonged stop of the sewage creates much more serious sanitary risks.
"There will be an epidemiological catastrophe within three days without sewage," said the Kyivvodokanal representative.
According to him, the enterprise is preparing technical solutions to ensure drainage from residential buildings even without electricity. In particular, they are considering redirecting drains to alternative control points, as well as pumping them out and transporting.
At the same time, a scenario in which widespread power outages prevent full operation of the system remains a serious challenge. Kyiv generates about 680–700 thousand cubic meters of wastewater per day, Gorkusyenko cited.
What residents can do already now
The Kyivvodokanal representative urged residents to check the condition of internal building networks together with HOA or management companies. This primarily concerns insulating pipes in basements, checking water supply and sewer inputs to the building, and ensuring the integrity of shut-off valves.
A separate issue is backup power for pumps that supply water to the upper floors. According to Gorkusyenko, some HOAs have already installed inverters and batteries for such equipment.
He also drew attention to the need to ensure access to apartments where owners may be absent for extended periods. In case of an emergency, this can be important for inspection and repair of internal communications.
Kyiv Water Utility operates with a shortage of staff and funds
Among the systemic problems, Gorkusyenko cited a lack of personnel and insufficient funding for repairs. He said that Kyiv Water Utility has lost about 40% of its staff over four years. One reason he named was the frozen tariff, which makes it hard for the enterprise to compete for specialists and ensure proper wages.
According to the representative of the water utility, the investment program of the enterprise has been almost zero over the last four years, so instead of large-scale modernization of networks, they mainly perform emergency repairs.
Gorkusyenko called on central and local authorities not to push water supply and sewerage to the back burner during winter preparations. In his words, stable operation of these systems is also tied to the functioning of heat supply and other city services.
As a reminder, due to the intensification of Russian shelling of energy infrastructure, Kyiv city authorities urge residents to prepare individual stockpiles in case of power outages and water supply disruptions.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Києву загрожує комунальний колапс узимку: що буде з водою та опаленням без світла". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: СтопКор.
