Discussions Were Held in Vinnytsia on Strengthening Cooperation with Switzerland in the Field of Water Supply with a View to Improving the Water Treatment System

Vinnytsia, in collaboration with Zurich, continues to work on improving the community’s water supply system. According to Vinnytsia Mayor Serhii Morhunov, during the latest working meeting with Swiss and international experts in Vinnytsia, the possibilities for renovating the water treatment plant were discussed.

'Currently, cooperation with Zurich is opening up new opportunities to make the process of treating the water that flows from residents’ taps more modern and environmentally friendly in the future. We discussed the preparation of a preliminary feasibility study for the modernisation of water intake and treatment systems in Vinnytsia. We also looked at the possibility of securing funding and finding donors for further work. Switzerland has extensive experience in this field. It has been investing in water treatment for decades. Today, their water is among the cleanest in Europe. We hope to be able to apply this experience in Vinnytsia as well,' noted the head of the local authority.

Overall, cooperation with Switzerland in the field of water supply covers several areas. In particular, this includes assistance with developing a Water Strategy, the implementation of short-term projects that have enabled Vinnytsia to acquire specialised technical equipment for the water utility, as well as direct work on long-term issues, part of which involves preparing documentation to determine the future changes required to optimise the operation of the water treatment plant.

The move towards long-term cooperation between Vinnytsia and Zurich was officially agreed in September 2025. At that time, representatives of the municipalities signed a Memorandum of Understanding on water supply for a period of four years.

To outline the next steps in this direction and discuss specific mechanisms that will enable the project to be brought to fruition, experts and representatives of Swiss government and municipal organisations visited Vinnytsia this week. Specifically, they represented the Swiss Embassy in Kyiv, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in Ukraine, and the Swiss-Ukrainian Municipal Project Preparation Fund (PPF4Ukraine).

As noted by the team leader and PPF4Ukraine representative Mario Ortner, Switzerland is a loyal and reliable partner to Vinnytsia, focusing on environmental issues, energy efficiency and green energy. At this stage, he said, it is important to develop a standardised document that all potentially interested parties, including potential donor organisations, can work with. 'This document will meet international requirements and address energy efficiency issues. It will be presented to all stakeholders, and we will have a clear step-by-step understanding of how this project will develop,' he noted.

Vinnytsia Mayor Serhii Morhunov thanked Switzerland for its assistance and partnership. According to him, the issue of optimising the water supply is extremely important for the city. However, in the context of the war, the community’s resources are limited, as it faces challenges related to supporting the Defence Forces and issues of resilience and security within the community. The municipality therefore hopes for financial support from international partners and donor organisations in preparing the relevant documentation.

'Currently, the water treatment plant’s equipment is being upgraded only locally and requires a large-scale refurbishment. We have now reached a shared understanding with our partners regarding the need to develop a preliminary feasibility study for the water treatment plant refurbishment project. This document is intended to record the condition of the plant’s current equipment, outline the main mechanisms for its modernisation, and assist us in securing international investment,' notes Vladyslav Kryveshko, Director of the Department of Municipal Services at the City Council.