site.btaWater Losses in Pleven Are Over 85% - Water Holding CEO

Water losses in Pleven are over 85%, Lozko Lozev, chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Water and Sewerage Holding EAD, said on Friday during a meeting of a local situation centre.

The situation centre was formed amid a severe water shortage in Pleven Region in the summer of 2025. Water was rationed in a draconian scheme and while supply has largely normalized for two months now, the rationing has not been lifted officially.

"It is impossible to fix quickly all leaks, but we are working to secure additional quantities of water so that next year we will not have a problem," Lozov said. He added that there are two main water sources for Pleven Municipality: the Cherni Osam reservoir and the Vit pumping station. "For the last two months, Pleven Municipality has received an average of about 600 l/sec from Cherno Osam and another 200 l/s from the Vit pumping station", he explained.

"By the end of next year, we must have replaced 47 km of the water supply network in Pleven," stressed Pleven Deputy Mayor Hristo Kochev. He gave details about the work of the administration on different deadlines for public procurement for projects related to the water supply infrastructure in the city.

The manager of the local water company, Kaloyan Kadriyski, pointed out that the main problem in Pleven is the outdated water supply network. After inspections carried out jointly with a company with which the local water supply operator has a contract for inspection, urgent replacement of some of the compromised sections is being undertaken, he said.

"As can be seen, the institutions are working as a team, the support of the government is also felt. I believe that a better summer awaits us and we will not have the same problems as last year, Pleven Regional Governor Martin Machev emphasized.

It was decided that the meetings of the situation centre for water scarcity will be held once a month instead of every week.