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Kyiv could face a major public health crisis if continued Russian attacks and power outages disrupt water supply and sewage services, Serhii Horkutsenko, deputy director general of Kyivvodokanal, warned in an interview with Ekonomichna Pravda.
According to Horkutsenko, drinking water could be delivered to residents by water tankers and distributed through designated collection points. However, maintaining wastewater drainage is a more urgent challenge because the system depends on a reliable electricity supply.
He warned that a prolonged power outage affecting critical sewage infrastructure could trigger an epidemiological crisis in the capital within three days.
Why sewage services are a higher priority than tap water
Horkutsenko explained that residents can obtain drinking water from tankers or carry it home in containers, but there is no similarly simple solution if the sewage system stops operating.
A complete shutdown of wastewater services would create serious public health risks, particularly in high-rise residential buildings. Residents on lower floors would be especially vulnerable to sewage backing up into buildings.
Horkutsenko recalled the difficult conditions Kyiv faced between February and April 2022, but said the current situation is more challenging because Russia is increasingly targeting critical infrastructure.
According to the Kyivvodokanal official, the city's key priorities during prolonged power shortages are maintaining critical wastewater facilities, organizing drinking water distribution points and keeping residential buildings functioning despite limited electricity supplies.
Kyiv warns of risks to water infrastructure
Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko has also warned that extensive damage to the city's water infrastructure could cause serious problems for the capital.
Recent Russian attacks and electricity disruptions have already affected the operation of Kyivvodokanal facilities, temporarily reducing water pressure in parts of the city.
The warning concerns a potential worst-case scenario rather than a current citywide sewage shutdown. On October 12, Kyiv's Dnipro District Administration reported that water supply had been fully restored and the system was operating normally, while noting that power outages could still affect water pressure on upper floors of high-rise buildings.
