New official data suggests that around 260,000 Bulgarians are struggling with basic sanitary needs such as bathing, flushing the toilet and washing clothes due to the country’s ageing water supply system. The crisis is badly affecting 16 cities and more than 200 villages in the country.

Climate change has been acknowledged as a contributing factor, yet so far this has not been addressed by the authorities.

In August 2024, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said it suspected fraud was involved in a 2.6 million euro EU-funded project to reconstruct the water supply network in an unnamed municipality. There’s been no public follow-up to the investigation.