Water Supply Crisis in Odesa Region
The Odesa region, particularly the Izmail district, is experiencing a serious water supply crisis caused by the catastrophic depletion of its main water source. This may lead to a humanitarian disaster and the destruction of crops across thousands of hectares.
According to the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, Katlabukh lake, which traditionally supplies water to the southern Odesa settlements and local farmers, is undergoing its worst crisis in recent years. The water body is rapidly losing water due to prolonged drought conditions and lack of timely replenishment.
Currently, the lake is only 57% full, and forecasts suggest that by July 1 it may reach a critically low level. This will disturb the hydrological regime, significantly degrade water quality, and lead to the loss of a water supply source for the Izmail district, affecting biodiversity and risking crop failures on thousands of hectares, the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council reported.
A week ago, the "Water of Life" users' organization sent an urgent letter to central and regional authorities demanding immediate intervention. The association includes farming enterprises, municipal utilities, and private water users from the Katlabukh lake basin.
The scale of the potential disaster is staggering, with over 15,000 residents of surrounding settlements at risk of losing their water supply, while agricultural enterprises could lose crops on more than 8,500 hectares.
Water from the lake is used for domestic and agricultural purposes, and the population has no other water sources, with wells already drying up, as noted in the official appeal from water users.
The greatest losses are expected in the agricultural sector, where 2,000 hectares of early grain crops and 6,000 hectares of corn, sunflowers, legumes, and vegetables are at risk of destruction. Over thirty farms, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, may face critical losses or cease operations entirely.
A technical solution to the problem exists, but it requires urgent funding. Water users point out the necessary infrastructure is available for replenishing the lake.
According to the operational rules of the Katlabukh reservoir, after filling the reservoir to the normal level during floods, water should be pumped in summer to maintain the water level, as explained in the letter to the authorities.
The issue lies in the fact that this summer's planned replenishment of the lake was not conducted due to lack of funding, despite budget allocations for such purposes. Preliminary estimates suggest that approximately 43.4 million hryvnias are needed to fully fill Katlabukh lake to a safe level.
The situation is further complicated by the lack of alternative water supply sources in the region, and existing private wells are also starting to dry up due to the overall decline in groundwater levels.
