Less than a month after the official start of the construction of a new water pipeline in Shumen, construction supervision halted the project due to concerns about poor-quality pipe installation.
The pipeline from Lake Ticha to Shumen is valued at 68 million leva and is part of a larger European project totaling 126 million leva aimed at improving the water sector in the region.
However, yesterday, shocking photos of the new pipeline, posted by environmentalist Krasimir Minev from Veliki Preslav—known for his advocacy for the protection of the reservoir—surfaced on social media. The photos, taken during the pipe installation near the pumping station towards Preslav, show that the pipes were being laid in a deep trench directly on the soil and immediately covered with dirt, without any padding or compaction.
“I never thought that the construction of a new water pipeline would look so much like a burial—dirt underneath, dirt on top, and it’s quickly buried to avoid the smell,” commented Krasimir Minev.
Later an interview with “Z Istinata,” he added what else he observed on-site—pipes are being thrown into the trench and then “assembled” with the bucket of an excavator pressing down on them, and are immediately covered with dirt, said Minev. With this method of “construction,”
the cast iron pipes can break,
resulting in the new pipeline failing every meter, the environmental advocate added. He predicted: “We will have a pipeline, but we will not have water!“
According to Minev, nearly a kilometer of pipes has already been installed in two sections—in the area of pump station “1300” and toward Veliki Preslav.
The photos on social media immediately grabbed the attention of Shumen residents, inciting anger and many questions. “Shumen will be without water with this new supply pipeline—without padding, without compaction, and without the execution meeting the parameters, requirements, criteria, regulations, and laws for such construction!” wrote a resident of Shumen on social media, urging the regional governor, the head of the water and sewage company, the project supervisors, and the mayor to take action.
“Without crushed stone and felt! This is apparently the new technology! I wonder how it meets the project specifications?!”
“How are the pipes buried without a water test?”
“Shouldn’t there be padding under the pipe?” — these are the most frequently asked questions on Facebook.
In this context, a Shumen resident recalled how the sewer system was constructed years ago near the Heavy Regiment in Shumen—first, crushed stone was poured into the trench, then sand, after which the pipes were laid, more sand, a strip, and only then was clean soil filled in, along with constant compaction, gravel, and daily inspections by various supervisors!
“And here there is no sand, no strip, but there are deductions,” commented another resident of Shumen. “It smells, but of corruption!” summed up the published photos a Shumen citizen.
After being alerted by a journalist from “Za Istinata,” the water and sewage company (ViK) in Shumen responded that construction supervision had halted work on the pipeline until the situation is clarified.
The long-awaited new water pipeline from Lake Ticha to Shumen is being constructed by “G.P. Group” and the consortium “Ticha 2020,” which were awarded contracts for working design, construction, supply of materials, and author supervision. The builders were selected through a public procurement process by ViK – Shumen, as the water company is the executor of the large European project for the rehabilitation of the water sector in Shumen. According to the contract, the pipeline is to be completed within 720 days, with designated funding of 68 million leva.
The construction officially started at the end of January 2023, marked by a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony attended by deputy mayors, a representative of the regional administration, the manager of ViK-Shumen, Eng. Emil Tomov, and the project management unit leader, Nadezhda Petkova.
The route to be worked on is 22 kilometers long, with the endpoint being pump station “1300” at the entrance to Shumen. It will run near the existing pipeline route. For the construction of the new water pipeline, pipes with a diameter of 800 mm will be used, which are stored at a temporary site near Veliki Preslav.
The construction of the new supply pipeline is part of the integrated project of ViK-Shumen aimed at improving the water sector, which is being implemented under the Operational Program “Environment 2014-2020.” The total value of the project is 126,564,455 leva, with nearly 68 million leva allocated for the water pipeline itself.
