Discharge of water from Novodnestrovsk reservoir into Dniester River to stay unchanged till late July 2026

Moldova and Ukraine have ruled to maintain, until the end of this month, the discharge rate of water from the Novodnestrovsk reservoir at 100 m³/s. The decision was taken today at an extraordinary meeting of the Commission on the Sustainable Use and Protection of the Dniester River Basin, convened against the background of decreasing water levels in the Dniester and the risk of hydrological drought.

During the meeting, the Ukrainian side reported that the amount of precipitation in the Ukrainian Carpathians had significantly decreased, which reduced the volume of water accumulated in the Novodnestrovsk reservoir. At the same time, high temperatures and heatwaves have increased water losses and the average monthly flow recorded in June was below the multiannual average, indicating a pronounced hydrological drought situation.

In the context, the Ukrainian side proposed reducing the discharge from the reservoir from 100 m³/s to 70 m³/s, in order to preserve sufficient water reserves in case the drought period is prolonged. The Ukrainian authorities also informed that they had already imposed restrictions on water use for 177 users, as well as other water-saving measures.

At the same time, representatives of requested that the current discharge regime of 100 m³/s be maintained at least until the end of the month, a request accepted by the Ukrainian side. The two parties agreed to hold another meeting in late July, when, depending on the evolution of the hydrological situation, additional measures will be examined, if necessary.

The Environment Ministry specified that, in the coming period, together with the “Apele Moldovei” (Moldova’s Waters) Agency, the Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring Authority and other relevant institutions, it would continuously monitor the situation and develop action scenarios based on updated hydrological calculations.