The public water supply and sewerage system managed by SA “Apă-Canal Chisinau” (ACC) is old and is over 70% worn-out. Most of the water and sewer pipes and other installations are fully worn-out. Owing to the material from which the pipes are made, the sudden change in weather negatively influences the water supply and sewerage system, IPN reports.

The ACC said it goes to the physical particularities of the material from which the pipes of the public water supply system are made, primarily those that were put into operation in 1980-2000. These are mainly made from steel and cast iron and these materials react to the sudden change in the temperature of soil, modifying their structure, form and volume at the molecular level.

“Given that the temperature of water in pipes is permanently constant, while of the soil varies, the pipes not being thermally insulated, fissures can appear in places where the pipes are connected, causing leaks and disruptions.  The phenomenon is yet seasonal and occurs mainly during the cold period of the year and in the autumn-winter and winter-spring switch periods,” the supplier said in a press release.

According to the ACC, the functionality of the water supply and sewerage systems is ensured by annually performing extensive repair works with the company’s financial resources. The rehabilitation works on water supply and sewerage systems and on other facilities as part of the Priority Investment Program that is financed by the EBRD and EIB will bring about the much-needed changes in the municipal water supply and sewerage system.