Almost all of Sector 4 in the Capital will be left without hot water starting Saturday, August 22, after a major breakdown on the Berceni Pipeline. Supply is expected to resume on August 25, but there are also issues in other areas of Bucharest, where Termoenergetica announces shutdowns or deficient system operation. In some cases, the estimated deadlines extend until mid-September.
The breakdown in Sector 4 occurred at a main heating pipe around 60 years old, near CET Progresul, in the area of the intersection of Stupilor and Turnu Măgurele streets. The pipe cracked two days ago, according to information provided on Friday by the Bucharest City Hall.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the underground galleries have been flooded with hot water at over 90 degrees Celsius. In order for the workers to reach the damaged pipe, the water must first be drained with special pumps.
CET Progresul will be shut down
For the intervention, CET Progresul will be shut down on Saturday, August 22. This will allow the hot water flow to the area of the breakdown to be stopped, and the teams will be able to enter the flooded galleries.
The consequences will be felt especially in Sector 4, where there is currently no alternative supply solution. The Bucharest City Hall estimates that approximately 90% of consumers will be left without hot water between August 22-25.
For the other areas normally supplied from this part of the system, authorities have found a temporary solution. CET Sud will be restarted earlier than planned, and the summer technical inspection, scheduled to last 21 days, will be postponed.
CET Sud will provide hot water for Sectors 2 and 3, while Sectors 5 and 6 are supplied by CET Grozăvești.
Issues in other areas of the Capital
The breakdown on the Berceni Pipeline comes at a time when the district heating system already faces issues in multiple areas of Bucharest. There are both specific breakdowns and modernization works that leave buildings without hot water or with deficient supply.
In Sector 2, 64 buildings supplied by the 33 Muncii, 2 Voiniceni, 3 Socului, and 1 Carei heating points have deficient hot water supply due to modernization works. Termoenergetica estimates a return to normal operation only by September 15, at 11:00 PM. Another 21 buildings in the Basarabia area have their hot water shut off due to modernization works, with an estimated deadline of August 28.
There are also extensive issues in Sector 3. Dozens of buildings in areas such as Theodor Pallady, 1 Decembrie 1918, Liviu Rebreanu, Nicolae Grigorescu, Basarabia, and Baba Novac receive hot water with deficient parameters due to modernization works. For some of these, the estimated return to normal is September 15, 11:00 PM, and for others, September 15, 11:30 PM.
In Sector 3, there are also buildings where hot water supply is shut off. Four buildings in the Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu – Bădeni area have a remediation deadline of August 25, while dozens of buildings are affected by delayed modernization works, with an estimated deadline of August 28.
Issues are not absent from Sector 4, right before the shutdown caused by the major breakdown on the Berceni Pipeline. At the 6 Zona II and Poșta heating points, 14 buildings are without hot water due to a breakdown in the primary network on Vatra Dornei street, with the estimated remediation deadline being August 22, 11:00 PM.
In Sector 5, several buildings and institutions also operate without hot water. Areas near Piața Națiunile Unite, Bulevardul Unirii, Splaiul Independenței, and Izvor street are affected due to breakdowns in the primary network and modernization works.
Furthermore, modernization works affect other extensive areas in Sector 4. At the Izvorul Coșbuc heating point, nine buildings on Regina Maria and Libertății boulevards have their hot water shut off, with an estimated return date of September 6, 11:00 PM. The same deadline applies to numerous buildings supplied by heating points in the Tineretului, Văcărești, Șincai, and Lânăriei areas, where modernization works are ongoing.
The deadlines announced by Termoenergetica are estimative and may be modified depending on the progress of the works.
The status of the district heating system can be checked on the dedicated Termoenergetica page for ongoing breakdowns and works.