Potable water supply distruption

Another year of water shortages is putting residents of the village of Slatino in Boboshevo municipality under severe pressure, with some homes going without running water altogether. Locals say the problem is not new, but has persisted for around 40 years, while the current drought and critically low reservoir levels have made the situation even worse.
Since the beginning of August, water has barely reached parts of the village. Under the current water-supply schedule, it is turned on for a short period in the evening, but the flow is so weak that it does not reach every home.
“It is clear that the water in the mountains is decreasing, but the neighboring village of Smochevo, which is supplied from the same source, has water,” resident Milen Hristov said.
Three settlements, Slatino, Smochevo and Mursalevo, rely on the same troubled water intake. Residents say, however, that the water from the distribution shaft does not reach the three villages equally, leaving some households in Slatino without adequate supplies.
For people living in the village, the shortage is particularly difficult for those who are ill or unable to leave their homes.
“There are sick people here who are bedridden. Can you imagine how these sick people are cared for without water?” resident Svetlana Georgieva said.
The decades-long shortage has forced many residents to look for their own solutions. People have invested in wells and boreholes in an effort to secure at least some access to water when the public supply fails.
“If it is not for the borehole, there is simply no life. Everyone finds a way, whatever they can manage,” said Genoveva Kyuchukova, another resident.
The local authorities say they have been trying to identify the cause of the problem for years. The mayor's office and the mayor of Boboshevo municipality have repeatedly inspected the water route and searched for leaks and other failures between the village and the water source. They are also seeking assistance from the Kyustendilska Voda water company.
Boboshevo Mayor Stefan Tachev said work is underway on a project in Robovitsa that could improve the situation for all three settlements.

“The project for Robovitsa is currently being completed. Whatever was leaking, God forbid, will be captured and distributed to the three settlements,” Tachev said.
Slatino Mayor Ekaterina Andonova also expressed hope that a new drilling project would provide a longer-term solution.
“We hope that with the drilling, which will be carried out very soon, we will solve the problems,” Andonova said.
Residents are also hoping that, following an order from the Regional Health Inspectorate, water tanks will be provided to help meet basic needs while the shortage continues.
In the longer term, applications have already been submitted for a hydrogeological survey to identify potential new water sources that could be used for additional drilling.
For the residents of Slatino, however, the immediate concern remains unchanged: after decades of unreliable supply, another summer of drought has once again left parts of the village without enough water to reach their homes.