Wody Polskie (the Regional Water Management Authority in Wrocław) reports in a statement that Tauron Ekoenergia operates the Pilchowice Reservoir on the Bóbr River in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Tauron Ekoenergia is responsible for the dam, the hydroelectric power plant, all work and the technical condition of this facility.
Currently, a decision issued by the Lower Silesian Voivode on January 19, 2007, remains in force. It grants the company (formerly Jeleniogórskie Elektrownie Wodne, now Tauron Ekoenergia) a water-law permit valid until December 31, 2026. The permit includes, among other things, the obligation to maintain the dam, water-retaining and water-level-regulation equipment in good technical condition, to discharge excess water, and to conduct periodic inspections of the condition and safety of the reservoir’s water-retaining structures.
To obtain another water-law permit after December 31, 2026, Tauron Ekoenergia must submit a new application to Wody Polskie (the Regional Water Management Authority in Wrocław).
Any planned renovation or modernization work on the Pilchowice dam and reservoir also requires a water-law permit from Wody Polskie’s Regional Water Management Authority in Wrocław. Such a permit was issued on November 19, 2021, for the modernization of the reservoir facilities. However, because regulations (Article 414(1)(3) of the Water Law) stipulate that work must begin within three years of obtaining the permit, it expired on December 12, 2024, because the work did not begin within the required period.
If, in Tauron Ekoenergia’s assessment, the crack does not adversely affect safety and does not require immediate repair, the planned dam renovation will be the appropriate time to remove the defect. Wody Polskie continues to supervise the dam to ensure that it is operated and maintained in accordance with the permits issued and the provisions of water law.