In June 2026, when we wrote about Ungheni’s water network, the numbers looked like this: 270 unplanned failures in a year, with an average duration of 7.16 hours each, on a network of 139 kilometers of pipes aged 45–60 years. The operator “Apă-Canal Ungheni” has since published its 2025 management report. Here is what it shows.
Fewer failures, shorter ones
Unplanned interruptions dropped from 270 to 256 — 14 fewer. It is not a leap, but it is a real decline, confirmed by another indicator that is harder to dress up: the average duration of each interruption fell from 7.16 hours to 5.68 hours. Nearly an hour and a half less.
A third indicator is even clearer. Dispatch calls from consumers reporting water outages fell from 2,258 to 263 — a drop of 88%. The operator’s report notes that most calls in 2024 had been related to turbidity during the summer months.
More water lost in transit
At the same time, something else grew. Water losses in the distribution system rose from 21.2% to 26.3% of the volume abstracted. In 2025, 1,632,500 cubic meters of water were abstracted from the Prut River — 72,500 more than in 2024 — but only 1,202,600 cubic meters were sold, 27,000 fewer. The difference of roughly 430,000 cubic meters went to “process consumption and losses.”
The operator explains the increase: “it is due to the implementation of European-funded projects — the rehabilitation of the drinking water treatment plant and the mains along Oranjeriei Street.” The works are ongoing.
Where the money went
Electricity costs rose from 2,593 thousand lei to 4,475 thousand lei — an increase of 72.6%. The average production cost per cubic meter of water and sewerage rose from 31.95 lei to 38.18 lei.
The operator’s own capital expenditure amounted to 322,700 lei — 57% of the annual plan of 564,900 lei. However, the local council transferred assets worth 77,663,700 lei to the operator — water and sewerage networks in the Sobolevschi, Dosoftei, Ștefan cel Mare, and Curculiovca neighborhoods.
Profit — saved by the dollar
The operator closed 2024 with a net loss of 1,828 thousand lei. In 2025 it ended in the black: a profit of 1,588.2 thousand lei. The report explains the source directly: “financial performance each year is due exclusively to financial factors, namely the exchange-rate impact on the existing loan.” The depreciation of the dollar against the Moldovan leu generated a favorable exchange-rate differential of 2,087.9 thousand lei — enough to offset operating losses. Without this exchange-rate effect, the operating result was negative: minus 530.3 thousand lei.
The tariff for water and sewerage services was adjusted in May 2025, after the operator had been operating under the tariff approved by ANRE through Decision No. 466 of 30 July 2024.
The numbers, side by side
| Indicator | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Unplanned failures | 270 | 256 |
| Average interruption duration | 7.16 hours | 5.68 hours |
| ”No water” dispatch calls | 2,258 | 263 |
| Water losses (% of abstracted) | 21.2% | 26.3% |
| Water abstracted (thousand m³) | 1,560 | 1,632.5 |
| Water sold (thousand m³) | 1,229.6 | 1,202.6 |
| Electricity costs (thousand lei) | 2,593 | 4,475 |
| Net profit/loss (thousand lei) | −1,828 | +1,588.2 |
The 2025 management report of “Apă-Canal Ungheni” SRL is available on the operator’s website.