Under the conditions of decreasing water resources during the hot months, the Ministry of Environment and Water welcomes the initiative by the Bulgarian Water and Sewerage Holding, which, since the end of July this year, has begun a series of inspections throughout the country to quickly detect illegally connected consumers and effectively use the available water quantities.

In support of the need not to waste drinking water for irrigation needs, the Ministry of Environment and Water calls on the Water and Sewerage operators and local authorities to save water resources, complying with the provisions of Regulation 4 on the terms and conditions for connecting consumers and for using the water supply and sewage systems. The regulation has been in force since September 2004 and is the regulatory document that obliges the Water and Sewerage operators to notify the territorial bodies of the executive authority in the event of a severely reduced flow rate of water sources and to propose to the municipalities to take action to prohibit the use of drinking water for irrigation, watering green areas, washing streets, motor vehicles, balconies, etc.

In Bulgaria, bans on the use of drinking water for irrigation are issued by local authorities, most often in the summer season, when there is increased water consumption and a risk of shortage. These orders are usually for a certain period of time and apply to specific settlements or regions. The Ministry of Environment and Water appeals to municipalities to apply this authority in the regions where necessary, in order to evenly distribute the limited drinking water resource in the hot season throughout the country.

Minister Manol Genov also appeals to citizens to use the life-giving resource of drinking water wisely and economically - only for drinking needs, and expresses supports for the efforts by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works to address abuses by consumers - theft of water through illegal connection, connection to water sources in the water supply and supply network to settlements, draining of water resources without measuring the quantities with water meters.