The draft bill №5202 “On Water Users Association (WUA)” which was registered in the parliament would allow farmers to accelerate the modernization of the irrigation system. Volodymyr Khvostov, a member of the UAC and Chairman of the Water Users Association, emphasized this in his comment.

"Ukrainian farmers have long been working according to European standards - cultivate fields, use modern equipment. They are determined to use innovations at their farms. With the adoption of the draft bill, it will be possible to modernize the irrigation system. After all, the system that provides water to our fields today was built about 50 years ago. This Soviet legacy could not be repaired properly, because the system was on the state or local governments balance, and we, in fact, if we repaired, we did it at our own risk," Volodymyr Khvostov explained.

According to the bill, farmers will be able to unite in the Water Users Association (WUA), to the balance of which the objects of the reclamation system of the lower level, which are in state or municipal ownership or are ownerless, will be transferred. The WUA is responsible for their maintenance and modernization.

"I think that in the first two years there will be a lot of investment in irrigation, especially in the pumping stations repairing. Today, everyone is fighting for a reduced cost, and if the station has a modern equipment that consumes less electricity and the station will provide quality and stable water supply - this is exactly what farmers need. Currently, we have a situation when private companies have installed equipment at power stations for some obscure amounts, implementing an energy service program. But the effect of such a modernization was destroyed, as the cost of equipment then was included in the water tariff, that was increased several times. With the adoption of the draft bill on WUA we will be able to do this energy service on our own and it will be a clear, correct systemic approach that will give a quick result. It will also be possible to improve the pipeline system, which goes from the station to the fields and supplies water in the field of legal boundaries. It will also reduce water losses,” Khvostov explained.

Such volumes of modernization require large funds. And the positive point in the draft bill is that the WUA will be able not only invest their own funds, but to attract investors and win grants for these purposes.