Nearly 600 buildings in Bucharest without hot water until July 7

Nearly 600 residential blocks in Bucharest have been left without hot water from July 3 to July 7, and in some areas until July 17, due to new replacement and repair works on decades-old pipes.

Bucharest heating operator Termoenergetica stated that the completion dates of the works are estimates and that there is a possibility they may not be met.

"The completion of the works depends on their complexity, which is directly related to the deteriorated condition of the pipes," the company stated in a press release.

"There are 600 (blocks of flats) out of 8,000, which means 7%. Indeed, if you're unlucky enough to be among that 7%, it's not very pleasant. I experienced it myself this morning. Out of these 600, there are around 200 that are caused by the conflict in District 1 and the malfunctioning of the Grivita District Heating Plant. The Grivita District Heating Plant, which is managed by the District 1 Local Council and the District 1 City Hall, provides only 3% of the thermal energy for Bucharest. However, in a situation where the pipes are so old, it's important for the heat source to be nearby. So, the 15,000 apartments covered by the Grivita District Heating Plant have no problems when it operates. Otherwise, we have to bring hot water all the way from the end of Timisoara Boulevard. There is some distance involved," stated mayor Nicuşor Dan, according to News.ro.

When asked about the situation in District 1, Dan explained that there is an administrative deadlock and an ongoing conflict between the local council and the mayor of District 1. "It's a discussion that I hope will be resolved as soon as possible because there are 200 blocks for which this is the main source of water being under the required parameters," he clarified.

The mayor gave assurances that the situation will improve next winter.

"What's important is that this winter will be better than the previous one [...] We have done two important things: we have increased the number of kilometers of rehabilitated pipes. We went from an average of 10-12 kilometers in 2021 to 28 kilometers in 2022, and this year I think we will reach 50 kilometers out of a thousand. And the second thing is that temporary plant in Titan that has taken over some of the load," Nicuşor Dan said.

(Photo source: Lightpoet/Dreamstime.com)