The key facts
- Expert Stanislav Ignatiev: with 8–10 hour power outages, pressure in the mains drops and the water supply cannot be quickly restored
- After electricity returns, the pumps need about three more hours of stable operation to fill the system
- On November 3, Kyivvodokanal reported a complete halt of centralized water supply in Kyiv due to power loss at its facilities
Why water returns later than electricity
Residents of Kyiv may face prolonged water supply disruptions due to power outages, and even after the electricity comes back, water will not appear in apartments right away. Ukrainian energy expert Stanislav Ignatiev warned about this on air on Novosti.Live, as reported by Life.ru.
How the system reacts to outages
According to Ignatiev, the city's water supply system can withstand short outages: if the pumps are without power for two to three hours, the pressure reserve usually allows water supply to continue, although the pressure noticeably weakens on the upper floors of apartment buildings. During prolonged outages — eight to ten hours without electricity — the pressure in the main pipelines drops so much that the water supply can no longer be quickly restored. After electricity is restored, the pumps, according to the expert, will need about three more hours to refill the system and ensure the necessary pressure, and throughout this time the power supply must remain stable. With frequent and prolonged outages, water supply schedules may become strict and unpredictable; residents of upper floors, where the water supply depends on additional pumps, are especially vulnerable.
Complete shutdown of supply on November 3
Earlier, Life.ru reported a complete halt of centralized water supply in Kyiv: on November 3, the municipal utility company announced that the main water supply facilities had lost power after damage to the energy infrastructure, as a result of which the water supply in the capital was temporarily suspended. The expert's warning about 'water blackouts' with delayed supply refers to the same situation: even when electricity returns, restoring pressure in the pipes takes additional hours.
