PS Calls on Government to Present Plan for Repairing Water Supply Network

Kosice, 23 March (TASR) - Slovakia's water infrastructure is in a critical condition, resulting in the loss of potable water due to leaky pipes, representatives of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party told a news conference in Kosice on Monday. PS has therefore called on the government to start addressing the situation immediately and to come up with a clear plan for restoring water-supply and sewerage networks, and for protecting water resources. "Water infrastructure is neglected, it's falling apart, and it is indefensible for Slovakia to lose water in volumes that are simply unacceptable in the 21st century. It's particularly indefensible in these rapidly changing climate conditions," said MP Michal Sabo (PS). He referred to a report by the Supreme Audit Office (NKU) from 2024, according to which up to a third of drinking water may be lost by selected water-utility companies due to leaky pipes. "At the level of the whole of Slovakia, this amounted to some 93 million cubic metres of water in 2023, representing a financial loss of nearly €120 million annually," stated Sabo, calling it waste of natural resources. MP Jana Hanuliakova (PS) stated that the problem also concerns the management of water-utility companies. "According to NKU's findings, there are serious doubts about decision-making in the water-management sector. We're asking the government how it intends to prevent a loss of control over strategic infrastructure and what plan it has for its renewal," she said. PS candidate for Kosice region governor Marian Porvaznik stated that as many as 276 municipalities in Kosice region aren't connected to the public sewage network and that the region is also dependent on a single water source. According to him, the planned zoning of the Poloniny National Park poses risks. "Reducing protection in the area of the Starina water reservoir by 1,700 hectares doesn't make sense and could threaten both water quality and funding from the recovery plan. This is unacceptable," he stressed. PS candidate for Kosice mayor Martin Mudrak described the situation in eastern Slovakia as the most critical, stating that more than 100,000 people don't have access to a public water supply network. He also pointed to the region's dependence on the Starina water reservoir. "If the protection of its basin is weakened, every household in Kosice will be at risk," added Mudrak. ko/df