WASH Incident Report No.46 Date: 04/04/2017

Location: Popasnyanskyi rayon ( GCA),

Prepared by: Volodymyr Kalinin, WASH Cluster IMO

PVK HAS REDUCED AND AGAIN RESTORED WATER SUPPLY TO LUHANSK NGCA:

Popasnyanskyi vodokanal (PVK) now is in the process of increasing water supply to Luhansk NGCA after yesterday significant reduction from 800 cubic meters per day to approximately 300 cubic meters per day. The main reason of yesterday reduction of water supply was a payment issue. ‘Dzherelo novoho zhyttya’ (is a company, which has an agreement with PVK in the payment for water supply to Luhansk NGCA) did not pay fully the water bill for February 2017. Today PVK received partially payment for February (it is still not full payment).

According to the PVK, they are planning to increase the water supply to pre-incident level (800 cubic meters of water per hour) today. Tomorrow, the plan is to increase the water supply up to agreed 1400 cubic meters of water.

The total number of affected people in Luhansk NGCA is around 420, 000 people (pre-conflict number provided by PVK). The biggest affected settlements: Pervomaisk, Kirovsk, Stakhanov, , , and . The most affected settlements are Stakhanov, Brianka and Pervomaisk. Other cities have limited alternative water sources. WASH Cluster reminds that it is a coal mining area with the low quality water resources.

De facto authority of Luhansk NGCA has established emergency schedule of water supply for the next affected settlements: . Once per two days (around 4 hours) - Pervomaisk, Brianka, Stakhanov and others. . Once per day (around 4 hours) – Alchevsk, Antratsyt, Sverdlovsk. . Two times per day – Luhansk city.

WASH Incident Report At the same time, all settlements from GCA side will continue receiving safe drinking water, without changes, according to PVK. The number of consumers from GCA side is around 44, 000 people. Actions from main stakeholders:

. Yesterday, WASH Cluster mentioned that Popasnyanskyi vodokanal (PVK) is going to cut off water supply to NGCA today due to the debts. According to our interlocutor from PVK, the decision was already agreed with Ministry of TOT. That information was not correct. WASH Cluster has contacted with Ministry of TOT for clarifying the situation around the water supply. We found that PVK only informed Ministry of TOT about their decision without previous consultations with the Ministry. The Ministry's position that there is a commercial issue between two independent companies (PVK and DNZ) around the payment. Ministry highlighted that there is a humanitarian dimension of this issue. That is why the Ministry is trying to find the solution on this situation.

. People in need is ready to organize additional water trucking in some water scarcity areas of Luhansk NGCA by local authorities' request.

REMINDER: Last week, WASH Cluster mentioned that LEO is going to cut off all PVK’s facilities for a reason of historic debts. Today PVK and LEO have agreed to seal up the backup pump of the lift station #3. As a result, Western Filter station, as well as other working facilities are still in operation (except, Petrovskyi water intake, which is cut off since 6 March. Please, look Incident report #38).

WASH Incident Report