Water supply from Dniester stays suspended in more north Moldova settlements; authorities activate alternative sources for population

The water supply from the Dniester River stays suspended for at least another 12 hours in the locality of Naslavcea and in the districts of Soroca, Balti, Floresti and Sangerei, according to an updated notice presented by the authorities on March 16, 2026, at 13:30.

The decision to maintain the restrictions was taken in the context in which, although the laboratory test results indicate a slightly positive evolution of the situation, the authorities deem it necessary to keep the preventive measure in place, in order to guarantee the full safety of consumers and to avoid any risk of contamination of the water supply networks.

Alternative water sources for the population

During the period in which water intake from the Dniester remains suspended, the  Environment Ministry, together with local public administrations, is carrying out actions to identify and activate alternative drinking water sources for the population.

In the Soroca district, the authorities have cleaned and put back into operation seven artesian wells. Through the latter, water will be delivered to consumers in the coming period, in order to cover the needs of the localities affected by the suspension of water intake from the river.

In the Floresti district, the use of wells that pump water from underground has already begun. Thus, more localities that were supplied directly from the Dniester, including Iliciovca, Maiscoe, Trifanesti, Sevirova, Ivanovca, Bezeni and Scaieni, are already supplied from alternative sources.

In the Sangerei district, most localities have their own systems for supplying water from underground wells. At present, only the locality of Heciul Nou is facing difficulties in ensuring a stable water supply. In this situation, the educational institutions in the locality – the school and the kindergarten – are supplied with drinking water with the support of the district council.

In the municipality of Balti, the authorities are preparing additional measures to support the population. In the coming hours, residents are to receive drinking water and technical water transported by tank trucks. At the same time, possibilities are being examined to identify additional wells in neighboring districts to supplement the water needs.

Permanent monitoring of the situation on the Dniester

The authorities point out that the pollution source upstream remains active, which is why intervention teams continue to strictly monitor the situation in the field.

In parallel with the continuous monitoring of the river’s course, specialists are installing additional filtering barriers on the Dniester, in order to limit the spread of the pollutant and are analyzing new technical solutions aimed at making the water decontamination process more efficient.

The responsible institutions say that they will continue to assess the situation and will return with updated information depending on the evolution of the pollution level and the results of laboratory tests. The main goal of the measures adopted remains the protection of the population’s health and the prevention of contamination of water supply systems.