Municipal collapse threatens: Ukrainians warned about catastrophic water situation.

Ukrainian cities are at risk of catastrophic destruction of municipal infrastructure

Energy expert Oleg Popenko stated that in the near future, Ukrainian cities may witness catastrophic destruction of municipal infrastructure, especially in the areas of water supply and sewage.

According to the expert, the state of water utilities in Ukraine poses a serious threat to the normal functioning of cities. 'Our infrastructure is not just a sieve, but huge holes. It practically does not exist,' he noted.

The situation with sewage systems is particularly critical. If sewage does not function for three days and there is no possibility to transport waste, the city effectively becomes uninhabitable.

'Without heat, people somehow survive - they warm themselves with gas, electricity or firewood. But the sewage problem is a completely different level of threat. If sewage does not work for at least three days and there is no possibility to transport waste, the city essentially becomes uninhabitable,' Popenko explained.

The expert asserts that these facts indicate the scale of the problem. Of the twenty-four billion hryvnias allocated for supporting water utilities by local budgets, it is insufficient. About 40% of water utilities cannot cover even 20% of their expenses.

To restore the water supply and sewage system, it requires between 9 to 14 billion dollars, but such funds are not available.

The expert is also concerned that after the war, problems may worsen due to budget cuts and decreased external funding.