Waste waters overflowed the hotels in the first line of the Golden Sands resort after the torrential rain which flooded the region. Due to the unbearable stench, tourists are threatening they would never come to Bulgaria for their holidays again. Hotel-owners did not allow our team to take pictures of the damages, afraid of losing clients. This happens every time there is a big rain, the hotel-managers say refusing to be pictured.
Source: National television (23.08.2005)

The so far held investigations about the ownership of the Water and Sewerage Companies (ViK) throughout the country showed that the there were tens of private companies operating in this field in Bulgaria as their number will probably grow over 100. New companies constantly turn up and the investigations have not yet finished, Mr. Lyutskan Dalakchiev, member of the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation, said. A few weeks ago the Commission, obliged by law to regulate this sector, started researching how many and which are the companies it should control. It occurred that the situation was even more complex that it looked like in the beginning as for most of the companies it is not clear if they should be treated as ViK operators or not. Mr. Dalakchiev pointed for example some privatized companies having wastewater treatment plants in their assets. Their new owners are selling water to the customers. This is happening in the Kitka – Novi Pazar plant, which has three owners, as one of them has been selling water to the rest two. If the Water Law is applied this company should report to the Commission and to wait permission for price change. A similar case is observed in a part of Sevlievo’s ViK network. In some other places the wastewater treatment plants supply water to the respective settlement what is the case with the former Bolshevik plant im Gabrovo which is bought by an Austrian company. Third problem was formed by the private ViK networks such as the one in Golden Sands. In Vratsa and Razgrad regions the Commission members came upon two small ViK companies owned by the respective town councils, i.e. they are neither municipal, nor private or state ownership.
Source: Sega (20.09.2005)