WASH Incident Report No.75 Date: 07/07/2017
Location: Luhanska GCA and NCGA
Prepared by: Volodymyr Kalinin, WASH Cluster IMO
SHELLING NEAR POWER PLANT: POWER and WATER CUTS IN LUHANSK OBLAST
Early this morning, 7th July 2017 at 00:40, there was a power supply incident in Luhansk oblast affecting Government Controlled Areas (GCA), due to the damaged powerline by shelling. According to Luhansk civil-military administration, the Thermal Power Plant was shelled, resulting in 220 kV power line getting damaged. Initially the whole of Luhansk oblast Government Controlled Areas (GCA) was cut off from electricity, which stopping piped water supplies to GCA, and also stopped water pumped to the Karbonit system that serves towns in Non-Government Controlled Areas (NGCA).
The electricity problem was partially resolved at 6.35 am, as confirmed by LEO the electricity supplier (although Shastia TPP formally belongs to DTEK). Some major electricity users such as Popsnyansky Vodakanal and Sevierodonetsk city were cut off for longer as LEO took some time to restoring the electricity network to full power.
Lysychansk Vodakanal informed the WASH cluster that Lysychansk city now has power (and water), and Sevierodonetsk power and water was also restored (both power and water) this morning. However there are knock on effects which mean that all PVK water facilities, including the Western Filter Station and pumping stations, are still cut off from electricity. As a result, all cities connected to the Karbonit system from both GCA and NGCA sides, are now not receiving safe piped water from the usual source. In GCA areas Popasna, Hirske and Zolote are affected (around 44,000 people) and in NGCA Alchevsk, Stakhanov, Brianka, Pervomaisk and Kirovsk are the most affected (180,000 people) with Alchevsk, Krasnyi Luch and Antratsyt also affected to a lesser extent.
The WASH cluster is in contact with PVK, LEO and Luhansk oblast administration to track if any humanitarian interventions are necessary.
WASH Incident Report