Mykolaiv Pipeline Restores Clean Water Supply

In August 2025, the city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine is close to restoring clean water to its 400,000 residents through a 68-kilometer pipeline. This was completed in just five months following years of reliance on brackish water from the Southern Bug estuary.

Rebuilding Essential Infrastructure

After the Dnipro–Mykolaiv pipeline was destroyed in April 2022, the city faced a prolonged water shortage. Choosing the intake site involved careful studies by French engineering firm Egis. They ultimately recommended a location upriver near Nova Odesa.

Pipeline extending into the river at sunset, showing water infrastructure development in Mykolaiv. — A view of the newly installed pipeline stretching into the Southern Bug River, part of efforts to restore potable water supply to Mykolaiv.

Construction company Autostrada began work in April 2025, taking charge of all operations in-house, including concrete, asphalt, and soil preparation. This approach cut the initial budget from $211 million to $150 million, streamlining the work without subcontractors.

Project Timeline

April 2025: Crews began excavation, prepared pipeline bases, and delivered materials.
May 2025: Construction of three pumping stations progressed simultaneously, with the first station connected to the Southern Bug River.
June 2025: Divers shaped the water intake basin and reinforced riverbanks with rubble and concrete. They also laid four 1,000mm gravity-flow pipes, each more than 700 meters long.
July 2025: System testing under medium pressure began, gradually filling water from Pumping Station 1 to Station 3.
August 2025: Full commissioning is expected by the end of the month. This completes in five months what usually takes two and a half years.

Excavators installing large-diameter pipelines along a trench, showing construction progress. — Heavy machinery at work on laying twin 900mm fiberglass pipes for the Mykolaiv water restoration project.

Technical Details

The pipeline consists of twin 900mm fiberglass pipes, three pumping stations, and reinforced intake structures. These are designed to keep silt out of the water. The configuration ensures a stable and reliable supply to Mykolaiv’s municipal network.

Concrete pouring at pumping station construction site, showing pipeline infrastructure setup. — Workers pour concrete at one of the pumping stations, part of the Mykolaiv water supply restoration network.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

This article outlines the completion of a 68km pipeline restoring potable water to Mykolaiv. The visual and technical descriptions emphasise the fibreglass pipes, river intake structures, and three pumping stations. It highlights the sequential construction and reinforced banks. While the article effectively conveys the logistical scale, it lacks deeper exploration of the pipeline’s integration into the city’s urban and environmental framework. Questions remain on long-term sustainability and resilience under future operational pressures. Nonetheless, by documenting a rapid, in-house engineering approach that reduced costs and accelerated delivery, the piece provides valuable insight into practical infrastructural strategies in challenging contexts.

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