After the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, Kryvyi Rih is on the verge of an ecological disaster due to a possible breakthrough of the emergency pond with mine waters

The Svystunov Beam is threatened by the discharge of mine water into the emergency pond. The Ministry of Environmental Protection seeks to reconstruct the facility urgently and is negotiating with European and Japanese partners to attract financial resources.

Critical condition of the facility after the HPP explosion

Svitlana Grinchuk, Minister of Environmental Protection, visited Kryvyi Rih and inspected the Svystunov Beam, which has received mine water from Kryvyi Rih enterprises for many years.

“The water quality problem in Kryvyi Rih has existed for a long time. However, the situation worsened after the devastating terrorist attack at the Kakhovka HPP,” Grinchuk noted.

The current condition of the beams

The situation is critical:

About 13 million cubic meters of highly mineralized mine water are discharged into the pond annually;

the facility is overflowing, and its service life ended 5 years ago;
The dam is undergoing deformation, threatening to poison the Inhulets River, the primary source of water supply for Kryvyi Rih and Mykolaiv.
“The reservoir is in an emergency state, and its ability to safely accumulate mine waters is close to critical,” the minister emphasized.

Plans for reconstruction

During a meeting with representatives of the regional and city authorities, the water agency, the environmental inspection, and local enterprises, the possibilities of reconstructing the beam and purifying mine waters were discussed.

“We have several technical solutions and are already negotiating with international partners, particularly with the European Investment Bank and the Japanese side within the framework of the Joint Crediting Mechanism program,” said Grinchuk.

Partner involvement

The project plans to involve:

Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration to monitor the situation;

Kryvyi Rih city authorities and enterprises for technical support;

International financial institutions to invest in reconstruction.
Consequences of the critical situation

In the event of a dam breach, the pond’s contents could pollute the Ingulets River, flooding tens of millions of cubic meters of dangerous water. This poses not only a threat to the environment but also a real danger to people.

“Procrastination is no longer acceptable. We must join forces – central and local authorities, business and partners – to solve the issue of water supply, water quality, and environmental safety,” – concluded Grinchuk.