site.btaAfter Seven Months of Water Rationing, Regular Water Supply to be Restored in Southern Town of Pernik

June 24 (BTA) - As of Wednesday,
the water rationing in Pernik is lifted, said Borislav Ivanov,
head of the local water supply and sewerage utility. The volume
of the Stoudena Reservoir, which is the main source of water for
 Pernik and the nearby towns and villages, and which had almost
dried up last autumn, now exceeds 20 million cu m, five million
cu m short of full capacity.

On December 21, 2019 a state of emergency was declared in Pernik
 after water from Stoudena had been rationed for nearly a month.
 

The then environment minister Neno Dimov was charged with
deliberate mismanagement over the water crisis. The former head
of the water utility in Pernik Ivan Vitanov was charged with
mismanagement too, while former deputy mayor and acting mayor of
 Pernik Sevdelina Kovacheva was charged with malfeasance in
office.

To solve the water crisis in Pernik, the government decided to
build a pipeline to supply the city with water from the
collection area of Belmeken Dam. A 13.5-km pipeline has been
completed in March. The emergency pipeline cost more than 25
million leva. RY/ZH


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