Government Decides to Lower the Water Level of the Azatan Reservoir

The water level in the Azatan Reservoir will be lowered to check and repair its technical condition. The reservoir located in the Ararat region is set to be nearly drained. This decision was made today, October 31, during a regular session of the Armenian government.

According to the decision, the dead (minimum) volume of the reservoir will be temporarily reduced from the currently established 1013.9 meters to 993 meters. The purpose of this action is to inspect and assess the technical condition of the broken water outlet at the bottom of the reservoir and to determine the necessity of replacing the valve.

It is worth noting that the Azatan Reservoir has been in operation since 1976. Its pipeline and four valves have become outdated both morally and physically. Two of the valves are non-functional, leading to irregularities in the water discharge.

Additionally, in 2017, the bottom water outlet of the reservoir was also damaged. As a result, the reservoir, constructed to provide irrigation water to the villages of the Ararat plain, has nearly ceased to fulfill that role in recent years.