Water pipe accident in Tbilisi: Week of repairs and water on schedule
Water pipe accident in Tbilisi
For over two days now, part of the population in the capital city of Georgia and the nearby town of Mtskheta—totaling around 300 thousand people—have been without water due to a major water pipe accident. With temperatures in Tbilisi reaching 35 degrees Celsius and the active tourist season underway, the water shortage is causing significant problems.
On June 18, the deputy mayor of the capital, Irakli Bendeliani, informed journalists that water supply would be fully restored within a week.
“63 thousand subscribers will receive drinking water according to the schedule within a maximum of one week… [repair] works will take a maximum of one week to completely rectify the situation,” said Bendeliani.
On June 16, Georgian Water and Power (GWP), responsible for the city’s water supply, reported damage to one of the central main water pipelines that supply water to central Tbilisi, as well as the outskirts of Gldani district and the town of Mtskheta.
According to GWP, the accident occurred due to the discharge of “bulk material” onto the pipeline, which damaged the pipe. It is not reported who did this and for what purpose.
The accident was so extensive that it took two days to assess the damage and develop an action strategy. Repair works commenced on June 18.
The repair work is further complicated by the fact that the damaged section of the water pipeline is located in a remote and mountainous area.
Additionally, there is a risk of landslides developing, noted by GWP:
“The mass of artificially compacted soil begins to collapse with any manipulation. Therefore, this further complicates the work of people and machinery.“
During the repair period, a water supply schedule has been set for a significant part of Tbilisi: typically three to five hours per day.
Meanwhile, GWP assures that they continuously monitor water quality around the clock, stating it “fully complies with standards and is safe for human health.” However, the company warns that when water supply is restored, the water may initially appear dark due to frequent changes in network pressure.
