Do Not Drink Raw Water: Networks in Mykolaiv to Be Chlorinated Starting November 2

Starting November 2, additional chlorination of the water supply network will begin in Mykolaiv. While disinfection is underway, untreated tap water must not be used for drinking or cooking.

Laboratory tests revealed a difference between water quality at the outlets of water supply facilities and in the city’s pipes. At pumping stations and treatment plants, the water already meets drinking water standards, but specialists found minor microbiological contamination at monitoring points in the network.

Vitalii Tkachenko, chief engineer at the Mykolaivvodokanal Municipal Enterprise, explained that additional disinfection is needed to eliminate microorganisms in the pipes. The goal is to ensure that safe drinking water reaches consumers throughout the city’s network.

A solution of sodium hypochlorite will be used, fed into the system by special dosing pumps. The equipment used to prepare and disinfect the water is located at one of the enterprise’s facilities. Operators take samples every hour and adjust the reagent dose in accordance with established standards.

Disinfection will be carried out under continuous laboratory monitoring. In particular, specialists will check the concentration of residual chlorine, which must not exceed 0.5 mg/dm³.

Valentyna Andreieva, head of the enterprise’s drinking water laboratory, said that staff take 10–12 samples every day at various points in the water supply system. Laboratory tests cover:

• odor;
• color;
• turbidity;
• microbiological indicators;
• presence of E. coli;
• hardness;
• alkalinity;
• chloride content;
• iron content.

Additional chlorination is a technological procedure for disinfecting water supply networks, but restrictions on water use will apply while it is underway. For household purposes, the water should first be left to stand in an open container for 3–4 hours.

According to preliminary estimates, the work may take from two weeks to one month. The maximum recommended period is three months, and the final duration will depend on the results of laboratory tests.

The water will be tested again approximately one week after chlorination begins. If the required result is not achieved in certain areas, the pipes there will be flushed additionally.

Residents will be told when the water can again be consumed without restrictions after laboratory tests confirm that it meets the required standards.

We previously reported:

• A Mykolaiv resident asks a court to stop the hyperchlorination of water
• Tap water could become unsafe to drink: Mykolaiv begins chlorinating its network
• Chlorine levels in water to triple: Mykolaiv prepares to flush its network
• Water is dirty? Senkevych points Mykolaiv residents to their own pipes
• Chlorination of tap water in Mykolaiv reduced to a minimum — samples showed biological contamination