Construction work on an apartment building damaged by military strikes earlier in the war. Mariupol, Ukraine. March 11, 2025.
For nearly two weeks, the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is currently under Russian occupation, has faced severe water shortages as its reservoir dries up. Water is now being rationed, and in some districts, it’s undrinkable. Despite having ample warning, occupation officials have only just begun to address the crisis. Their proposed “solution,” however, may not be operational until 2027. The independent outlet Bumaga spoke with Mariupol residents to understand the situation on the ground. Meduza shares their key findings in English.
On February 24, the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, occupation authorities announced that the city of Mariupol would transition to a scheduled water distribution system. Since March 3, the local utility company has provided water for just six hours a day — from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Outside of those hours, officials claimed water would still flow, albeit at low pressure. But residents in outlying districts told Bumaga that this isn’t the case — either the water is completely cut off, or it never reaches the upper floors of apartment buildings due to weak pressure.
Moreover, water quality has deteriorated significantly in some areas. Residents report that the water is yellow or rust-colored, forcing them to buy bottled drinking water. “The water comes out yellow — we have to drop chlorine tablets in it,” one resident said. “The shutdowns follow the schedule, but since our building lacks a proper pump, the water doesn’t reach the upper floors.”
People living in central Mariupol and detached houses told Bumaga they haven’t encountered these issues. But just one week after the new water schedule took effect, occupation authorities reported a rise in acute intestinal infections, which they attributed, in part, to poor water quality and lack of hygiene. In comments under the announcement, residents expressed outrage that they are forced to wash their hands with rusty water.
Compounding the crisis, water in the city is also periodically shut off due to pipe bursts. In some cases, residents have been left without running water for more than 24 hours.
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Serhii Koval, director of the Mariupol branch of Voda Donbassa, the city’s water and sanitation provider, attributed the reservoir’s depletion to low precipitation levels, claiming that other nearby cities are facing similar issues. However, he insisted that a total water cutoff was not planned.
According to Russia’s Territorial Development Fund, the Starokrymske Reservoir has lost more than 60 percent of its original 47 million cubic meters (12.4 billion gallons) of water. There are plans to address the shortfall by redirecting water from the Pavlopilske Reservoir, located about 22 kilometers (13.5 miles) away from Starokrymske — but that system won’t be operational until March 2027.
Mariupol’s exiled City Council warned in December 2024 that water levels in the Starokrymske Reservoir had dropped by 5–6 meters (16.5–19.5 feet). The Ukrainian officials also stressed that the reservoir was never meant to serve as Mariupol’s primary water source and had always been a backup supply. Before the occupation, the city’s main water source was the Siverskyi Donets–Donbas Canal, which was severely damaged in the fighting.
“This was predicted,” said Volodymyr Antonenko, who ran Mariupol’s water utility before the occupation. “The Starokrymske Reservoir can only supply 40,000 cubic meters of water per day, while the city needs 150,000. That’s why it’s running dry.”
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