Moldova's Water Supply Strained as Reservoir Levels Drop

Mayor Ion Ceban announced that five additional water wells have been rehabilitated in Chișinău, bringing the total of functional wells to 31 and improving the city's water‑supply resilience. At the same time, Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder reported that the level of the Novodnistrovsk reservoir in Ukraine has fallen by more than four metres compared with the same period last year, forcing Moldova to draw from the strategic water reserve to meet demand. The minister warned that the outflow from the reservoir now exceeds inflow, consuming the reserve and urging citizens to use water responsibly.

The drop in reservoir level has reduced the flow of the Nistru River, the main source of drinking water for about 80 % of Moldova’s population, including Chișinău. A joint Moldovan‑Ukrainian commission negotiated a compromise flow of 85 m³/s for the coming weeks. Minister Hajder also led a delegation to Ukraine to inspect critical Nistru points, including the Hotin water‑intake station, to prevent interruptions. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely and have called for rational water consumption as high temperatures persist.