Summertime is my favourite season of the year in Bulgaria. It conjures up pictures of hot sunny days, blue skies, gentle sea breezes and plenty of evenings al fresco spent eating fresh home-grown salad and drinking rakiya. Yet every year brings the inconvenience of water shortages to hoards of villagers all over the country. Bulgarian television reported that Obzor was now having their water supply turned off for five hours a day in an effort to conserve water.

Dirty washing

Last August, my village, Rogachevo, was without water for 14 days. There were daily sporadic bursts, when water was available for an hour or two, but it was guesswork as to when this would be and often we were out at the beach, so we missed the opportunity to do the backlog of washing or to fill the bath with a supply of water to flush the toilets. On the occasions when we were home, we competed with the rest of the village to get our share. The resulting pressure was very low and often the water would go off in the middle of a big wash.

We kept ourselves clean by paying to use the indoor swimming pool at the Admiral Hotel in Golden Sands and then relaxing under a long hot shower. This luxury does not come cheap and at 10 leva a day for a family of four, it soon became an expensive solution. Jayne from Rotherham, England, said: “We kept a bar of soap next to our pool. We’ve been here three years now and every year it is the same story.” Another neighbour, Violetta, blamed the shortage on the priority given to supplying tourists in nearby Albena resort.

But why?

Information from the mayor and from our “water man”, who lives down the road, was scarce. No one could pinpoint exactly how long the delay would be. There were many false reassurances that it would only be “another two days”. At first we were told the problem was the failure of one of the pumps and after much tampering, a new part had been ordered.

The irony of the water saga is that Rogachevo holds the title Beverley Hills of Bulgaria, due to the number of prestigious villas and high-profile Bulgarians living here, yet there is no greater leveller than the lack of a basic facility like water. Neighbours shared water from swimming pools to flush toilets with local people who did not have a bath to store water, meals were shared from the same large bowls to cut down on washing up and car trips to a nearby spring meant cramming as many villagers and plastic bottles as possible into the car.

Many expats in our village felt that we were without water because of the volume of construction, the number of swimming pools and our close proximity to two main tourist resorts. Yet the real reason is that many villages experience this problem every year. The local people have put up with this kind of inconvenience without complaint. It is only the expatriate community that has started demanding answers.

Assen Lichev, the head of the Waters Directorate in the Environment and Water Affairs Ministry, warned in May that Bulgaria would face huge droughts throughout summer and autumn. In an interview with Darik News, he said there were only two rivers, the Ogosta and the Tundja, that still maintained the average level of water in the riverbeds.

The Black Sea region had the most alarming conditions in terms of river levels.

Official opinion

The Environment and Water Affairs Ministry maintains that there is a dual problem. In the past 10 years, the annual rainfall has decreased, there has been less snow on the mountains and as a result, less water in the reservoirs. Climatic changes are responsible and a prediction for the Mediterranean area (which encompasses Bulgaria) is that there will be higher temperatures and even more drought.

The second part of the problem is the antiquated infrastructure here in Bulgaria. The outdated, overworked equipment leads to considerable water losses. On average, the ministry estimates that in some areas water losses stand at 57.3 per cent and in some regions a staggering 75 per cent. Some of these losses result from water theft and bad management of the water systems. According to moew.government.bg, the problem is being addressed, but it will take a long time before water issues reach acceptable levels.

Hitting home, and the adjacent field

The water crisis has a dire effect for everyone. Health issues are of primary concern. When people are unable to flush toilets regularly, or clean themselves and their homes, germs linger, vermin are enticed and disease spreads. The food chain is hit by the lack of water for the crops. The level of underground water is extremely low, so there is not enough water for irrigating crops. The knock-on effect is price rises.

Krasimir Avramov, chairman of the National Grain Service, announced that this year’s drought had resulted in losses of more than 500 million leva in Bulgaria’s grain production. Wheat yields will amount to about 130 kg a sq km compared with 300 kg in 2006. The price of flour and products made from it has risen in August due to the poor performance of the wheat crop. Grain producers demand that the Government declare an emergency and compensate the farmers accordingly.

It is not just grain producers who are experiencing difficulties.

Farmers are having problems with grazing pasture for their animals. Straw and animal feed for the winter is likely to be in short supply. Most villagers grow their own food, which they pickle or preserve, and store for winter months.    

 This year, the lack of rain has meant many crops have failed. The regions facing the greatest threat to water supplies are located in the north, in the region of Dobrudja Mountain and part of the Thracian lowlands. People living in these areas have been warned that they should curb the amount of water they use or face austere measures imposed by the municipalities in the region.

Additional considerations

Another issue at stake here is the unprecedented, huge growth of tourism along the coast. It is a catch-22 situation: Bulgaria encourages and needs tourism to boost the economy, but this, in turn, brings problems with additional demands and consumption of water. Tourist resorts have priority for water; it would be difficult to justify an empty swimming pool to holidaymakers who have just paid hundreds of euro for their holiday  and would not encourage repeat bookings if tourists were to face the same hardships as the local populations.

On the expatriate website mybulgaria.info, a debate about the justifications of having a swimming pool rages. One member writes: “As to a swimming pool in a village where the locals can’t water their crops and gardens, I personally would find it very difficult to feel comfortable swimming in it.”

As part of the local population of Bulgaria, we need to think seriously about conserving water and showing some consideration to the multitude of problems our host country faces. In addition, let us not forget to leave a bowl of water out for any stray dogs or cats!

My water shortage survival kit

Prepare for a water shortage by taking the following measures:

1. 10 litre bottles of water in every bathroom. We refill them from our store of bathwater that we collect each time the water comes back on.

2. 1.5 litre bottles of mineral water in every bathroom. We use this water for cleaning teeth and basic hygiene.

3. Baby wipes and deodorant wipes. Baby wipes are great for cleaning your hands and generally freshening up. They can be purchased at almost anywhere.

4. Household cleaning wipes. These are great for ensuring that your cooking surfaces remain clean and germ free and can be used to clean bathroom areas, too.

5. Cut down on washing by living in as little clothing as possible. The hot weather means we live in swimsuits.

6. Ladies, tie your hair back. You will feel much cleaner if unwashed hair is scooped up into a neat ponytail.

7. Buy paper plates, cups and plastic cutlery, which can be thrown away once you have used it. We tend to eat main meals out in times of drought, but for breakfast, it is easier to eat fresh fruit or use disposable bowls for cereals, etc.

8. Buy plenty of fly repellent. We find Raid the best product to deal with unwanted insects.

Top ten water conservation tips

1. Fix leaky taps and plumbing joints.

2. Don’t run the hose while washing your car. Use a bucket of water and a quick rinse with a hose at the end.

3. Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.

4. Forgo twice-daily showers and shorten them.

5. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and terraces.

6. Wash up in a bowl and put the water down the toilet or on the garden and not down a drain.

7. Don’t let the tap run while cleaning teeth or shaving.

8. Don’t defrost frozen foods with running water. Either plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave.

9. Capture tap water. While you wait for hot water to come down the pipes, catch the flow in a watering can to use later on houseplants or your garden.

10. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slows down evaporation.