The Brazi power plant, operated by OMV Petrom, was unexpectedly shut down on Tuesday and will remain offline until next week due to low process water flow and water restrictions, the company announced.
Over 100,000 people in the Prahova and Dambovita counties have been without centralized water supply since Friday, after the water level in the Paltinu dam rose by about 12 meters following heavy rainfall, making it impossible to properly treat for drinking.
The affected localities are Campina, Breaza, Baicoi, Adunati, Poiana Campina, Sotrile, Banesti, Brebu, Telega, Varbilau, Alunis, and part of Floresti commune in Prahova County, as well as Moreni in Dambovita County.
Residents are receiving drinking and household water from tankers brought in by firefighters and local authorities. On Sunday, a decision was made to provide them with 200,000 liters of water from the state reserve.
The Prahova County Council, the main shareholder of the water supplier, said that the issue stems from the Paltinu dam, where installations have suffered a technical blockage due to high turbidity.
However, Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu argues that the situation is not just a technical issue but a serious lack of professionalism. She announced that she will send the Control Body to investigate the chain of responsibilities.
On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan declared that once the water supply is restored, those who caused this crisis downstream of the Paltinu reservoir shall be held accountable. AGERPRES
