Paltinu Dam maintenance delays threaten Prahova water supply

Authorities in Prahova County are seeking clarifications regarding delayed maintenance works at the Paltinu Dam. Technical operations intended to clear sediment and unblock the GF2 drainage system may not be completed until 2029, a timeline local officials have described as “excessive.”

The Sistemul de Gospodărire a Apelor (SGA) reported that these complex technical operations have been postponed for over three years. The works are now scheduled to take place only after the general rehabilitation of treatment stations and supply pipelines. This delay leaves over 100,000 citizens and dozens of hospitals at risk of water shortages should further gallery blockages occur.

Although special commissions within the Prahova Prefecture had approved emergency interventions as early as last autumn, central bureaucracy and a lack of technical feasibility studies have stalled the project. Local officials have submitted risk reports to the National Administration of Romanian Waters and are requesting the urgent release of allocated investment funds to prevent a recurrence of the December 2025 water crisis.