Major Warsaw Heating Network Upgrades: August Outage Schedules Announced

Veolia Energia Warszawa has announced major summer modernization works on the capital’s heating network for August, resulting in temporary heating and hot water suspensions for hundreds of buildings.

Summer Modernization Schedule

Veolia Energia Warszawa announces further summer modernization work on the capital’s heating network. In August, the largest operations will be carried out on Pustelnicka, Zgrupowania AK „Żmija”, and Jagiellońska streets. Due to these investments, residents of some buildings must expect temporary suspensions of heat and hot water supplies, with the largest planned break affecting 689 buildings.

The holiday period is one of the main times for Veolia to conduct repair and modernization work. According to the company, hot water consumption is lower in the summer, making necessary network shutdowns less burdensome for consumers.

The second month of the holiday season is primarily a time for vacations, which is visible not only in lighter traffic on the streets but also in lower hot water consumption by residents. For Veolia, this is the best opportunity to carry out repairs and modernizations when it is least burdensome for customers, ensuring reliable heat supplies during the cold months, said Paweł Zbiegniewski, spokesperson for Veolia in Warsaw.

Infrastructure and Digitalization

The capital’s heating network spans approximately 1,900 kilometers. Veolia is responsible for its operation and carries out investments related to infrastructure development and modernization, allocating an average of about 100 million PLN annually for this purpose.

Since 2014, activities have been carried out under the Intelligent Heating Network 1.0 and 2.0 projects to digitalize network management. Heating nodes and chambers are being equipped with devices enabling remote control and infrastructure monitoring.

According to Veolia, over 55 percent of Warsaw’s network currently consists of pre-insulated pipes, which help reduce heat loss. The company also reports that the number of network failures has decreased by about 40 percent in recent years.

August Works on Pustelnicka Street

The first of the major August tasks is scheduled for 48A Pustelnicka Street, involving the modernization of a heating chamber.

Work will begin on Monday, August 10, at 8:00 PM and is planned to end on Thursday, August 13, at 6:00 AM. During the work, heat supplies to 146 buildings will be temporarily suspended.

Major Overhaul on Zgrupowania AK „Żmija” Street

The investment at 21A Zgrupowania AK „Żmija” Street will have a significantly larger scope, where Veolia has planned a general reconstruction of the heating chamber.

Work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, August 18, at 9:00 AM and last until Saturday, August 22, at 6:00 AM. During this time, heat supplies will be temporarily suspended to 689 buildings, making it the largest of the three August tasks in terms of affected properties.

Pipeline Reconstruction on Jagiellońska Street

Further work is planned at 4 Jagiellońska Street, focusing on the reconstruction of the heating main.

The shutdown will begin on Monday, August 24, at 4:00 PM, with completion scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, at 2:00 PM. The suspension in heat supplies will cover 67 buildings.

Role and Function of Heating Chambers

Two of the three largest August tasks concern heating chambers, which are underground concrete or reinforced concrete rooms that form part of the municipal network.

Inside these chambers are shut-off valves, elements for draining and venting the system, expansion joints, regulators, and telemetry devices. Qualified heating network personnel have access to the chambers.

The chambers are located at network branch points and locations requiring flow control and management. According to Veolia, there are over 5,000 such facilities in Warsaw.

Their construction allows for cutting off a specific fragment of the network in the event of a failure, limiting the outage to the damaged section rather than shutting down a larger part of the system. Chambers also enable the distribution of heat from main pipelines to smaller pipes and allow for some servicing work without extensive excavation.

Customer Notifications and Updates

Veolia Energia Warszawa informs customers affected by planned shutdowns—including housing cooperatives, community associations, and institutions—at least seven days before work begins.

Property administrators and managers are then expected to pass this information on to residents. Veolia prepares a communication template for this purpose, which can be posted on stairwells or other designated information areas.

Updated information on ongoing and planned supply interruptions is also published by Veolia on its dedicated website regarding Warsaw’s heating network.