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Ukraine has no state standard for drinking water for 2 years already
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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British researchers have named Kyiv the dirtiest capital in Europe. They identified landfills and polluted air as the city's main problems, but water as the biggest problem.
"Kyivvodokanal" purifies water from the Desna several times with chlorine and filters. However, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Director of the Institute of Colloid Chemistry and Water Chemistry Vladislav Goncharuk does not dare to drink such water. "Tap water is not drinkable, it is really of very poor quality - there is no doubt about it," the scientist claims.
The biggest problem, according to the academician, is the chemicals used to purify water. However, it is impossible to prove this with documents, since the state sanitary station still does not know what high-quality water means. The Soviet-era DSTU was cancelled two years ago, and new state standards have not been adopted. This is a unique case in the world, Goncharuk is indignant. "Therefore, there is no point in talking about water compliance with any standards," he is convinced.
The sanitary station refused to comment on how it allows people to drink water whose purity it cannot determine.
Meanwhile, the academician's conclusions are opposed by the chief engineer of the Desnyanskaya water supply station, Valeriy Olenchenko. "My family and I drink tap water," he assures.
The chief engineer admits that because of the sewage system and insoluble detergents, the water in the Dnieper and Desna has deteriorated several times since the opening of the treatment plant. And the equipment of the plant has hardly changed in 60 years. "By and large, the plant needs technical reconstruction," he admits. But he can't even imagine how many millions are needed for this and in what currency.
They promise to modernize the equipment of "Kyivvodokanal" by 2020. The laboratory does not undertake to predict how the composition of water in the rivers will change by then. Until then, the quality will be controlled using the old proven technology and standards that do not exist.
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