As Ilya Trombitsky, director of the nongovernmental organization “Eco-TIRAS,” commented on the situation to Logos Press, the Ukrainian side’s decision to maintain the current rate of water release from the Novodnestrovsk Reservoir into the Moldovan section of the Dniester (100 cubic meters per second) until July 31 should be viewed merely as a reprieve. A reduction in the discharge is almost certain to occur in August. The only question is whether it will be reduced by the 30% announced by the Ukrainian side. Alternatively, the Moldovan side may succeed in reaching a compromise—for example, a 10–15% reduction. If no compromise is reached, water supply restrictions—particularly in Chisinau—are quite possible.
Alternative water supply options in the event of a reduction in water discharge from the Novodnestrovsk Reservoir are either short-term or insignificant. Thus, according to the cited source, it would make sense at this point to increase water storage in the Dubossary Reservoir. However, these additional reserves, serving as a “safety cushion,” would last only a few days—or, at best, a few weeks. It is also unlikely that groundwater sources could be urgently mobilized to replace Dniester water on an emergency basis, and there are relatively few active wells.
According to data cited by Acting Minister of the Environment Gheorghe Hăjder, citing “Apă Canal,” Chisinau has 34 active artesian wells capable of producing about 1,300 cubic meters of water per day—this is only 4.3% of the city’s daily demand (30,000 cubic meters). In other words, there is no real alternative to water from the Dniester, even “by the most conservative estimate.”
The only hope lies in the willingness of the new governments of Ukraine and Moldova to reach an agreement within the framework of the Dniester Commission.
