Dniester Reservoir Water Level Hits Record Low

The Dniester Reservoir, nestled along the Dniester River in southwestern Ukraine, has plummeted to its lowest recorded level for this time of year due to an extended drought that has curtailed river inflow. According to Ukrhydroenergo's press office on Thursday, August 20, the reservoir stands at approximately 112 meters (about 367 feet) below the Baltic height system, a 76-centimeter (around 30-inch) drop since the beginning of August.

Ukrhydroenergo, the state-owned corporation managing Ukraine's major hydropower and pumped-storage facilities on the Dnipro and Dniester rivers, declared they are now in a phase of actively managing water scarcity. The reservoir is being utilized as a strategic water reserve, with power generation and releases at the Dniester hydropower complex now dictated by water management needs rather than electricity demands.

The primary focus is on safeguarding municipal drinking water, local communities, water intake facilities, and the river's health downstream. Natural inflow constituted only about 20% of the usual August rate of 256 cubic meters (about 67,629 US gallons) per second, reported by the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center on Monday, August 7.

At Zalishchyky, a crucial monitoring station on the Dniester, water discharge plummeted from 43 cubic meters (around 11,359 US gallons) per second on August 1 to 32 cubic meters (approximately 8,454 US gallons) per second on Thursday. Since the start of the month, the average discharge has been 37 cubic meters (about 9,774 US gallons) per second.

This development occurs as Ukraine readies various sectors for the approaching winter, anticipating Russia to target water, power, and heating infrastructure in its winter offensive. By August 7, water supplies in Russian-occupied Donetsk were severely compromised, leaving many residents with tap water only available for two to four hours every three days.

In Mariupol, water was accessible for a few hours every other day, while residents of Yenakiieve received supplies once every four days. These shortages have compelled households to purchase expensive bottled water, wait for deliveries, or collect water from ponds, lakes, puddles, and even broken pipes, often resulting in discolored water.