PM on Water Supply Issues in Winter Resorts: This Shouldn't Have Happened

“The problem of water supply should have been resolved in Bakuriani and Gudauri. It should not have happened,” Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said at the cabinet meeting today.

Mountain resorts of Georgia, Gudauri and Bakuriani, have faced water supply problems recently, seeing holidaymakers in Bakuriani claiming the water distribution has been delayed for several days, causing discontent among locals and tourists. In addition, due to the water supply problem, central heating systems also failed.

The PM recognized today that the government should have taken more preventive measures in this regard, and noted that 2020 should be devoted to preventing such problems for the next season.

“Unfortunately, we had some complications in winter resorts this year, in Gudauri and Bakuriani, in terms of water supply. It can be said unequivocally that we should have solved this problem. This should not have happened even though we know precisely today that the causes were both objective and subjective. We understand that the problem is systemic and we understand that we should make relevant conclusions and 2020 should be devoted to preventing such problems for the next season,” Gakharia said.

The United Water Supply Company of Georgia responded to the reports and said that due to the increasing number of tourists in Bakuriani, the water pressure was low which caused a problem with distribution. However, the problem was soon resolved and Bakuriani now has a steady water supply.

As for the water issues in Gudauri, damage was detected in the water supply network. "The technical group worked to fix this problem," the company said.

The United Water Supply Company recently took on a new head. Grigol Mandaria became the new head of the United Water Supply Company of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, having served as an advisor in water supply issues at the ministry since 2019. From 2012 he chaired the Water Supply Department at the Georgian National Energy Regulation Company (GNERC). He replaced Ekaterine Galdava, who will now continue serving at the Ministry.   

By Ana Dumbadze