Major upgrade planned for Kargaly reservoir in Aktobe region

The Aktobe branch of the state enterprise Kazvodkhoz, in cooperation with the Committee for Water Resources under the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, has begun preparing the design and estimate documentation for the reconstruction of the Kargaly reservoir. The work is expected to be completed by next spring.

Construction and installation work is scheduled to begin in 2026, following the project’s state review. As part of the reconstruction, all outdated mechanisms of the Kargaly reservoir — some of which have been in operation for almost 50 years — will be replaced. The project also provides for the installation of a small hydropower plant to supply electricity to the facility’s hydraulic structures, with surplus power to be delivered to nearby businesses and settlements.

“The implementation of this project will complete the comprehensive reconstruction of the three largest reservoirs in the Aktobe region. Last year, the first renovation in 36 years was carried out at the Aktobe reservoir on the Ilek River, and the major overhaul of the Sazda reservoir is nearing completion. Currently, work is underway at the Kargaly reservoir to lay an access road, concrete the dam slopes, replace lighting, and install additional surveillance cameras. These works are expected to be completed by the end of November,” said Rinat Shauenov, Director of Aktobe regional branch of Kazvodkhoz.

The Kargaly reservoir, commissioned in 1975, has a total capacity of up to 280 million cubic meters of water.

As reported earlier, Zhambyl region is set to build two new water reservoirs in 2026.