IsraAID provides 10 million liters of safe water in Ukraine

20 March, 2024

IsraAID, Israel’s leading humanitarian aid organization, has provided over 10 million liters of safe drinking water for communities cut off from infrastructure in Southern Ukraine. Focused on Mykolaiv Oblast, which saw large parts of its water infrastructure destroyed since April 2022, mobile and stationary reverse osmosis water filtration systems provided by the Israeli NGO are now producing over 1 million liters of safe drinking water per month. In the city of Mykolaiv, IsraAID has trained local authorities and water distribution point operators in the maintenance and use of the water systems, ensuring continued sustainability.

In April of 2022, the Russian attack on the banks of the Dnipro River severed the pipes that supplied the port city of Mykolaiv with water. The city began pumping in partially saline water from the nearby Southern Buh Estuary, which is unsafe for drinking and has since corroded much of the piping system. In August of 2023, the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam further intensified the water crisis, causing an ecological disaster with mass flooding and draining of the Kakhovka reservoir.

IsraAID’s 15 stationary water treatment stations are installed on the existing pipeline and are the only water systems in the region with the ability to purify and desalinate water from the estuary. Eleven of the water stations are installed in schools – providing safe water for children and making it possible for schools to reopen. The other four are installed in municipal facilities, ensuring open access and credibility. In addition, IsraAID spearheaded efforts among humanitarian actors to produce an interactive digital tool for community members that maps water points and includes information about water quality, types of stations, and operating hours.

IsraAID’s two mobile water stations have additional filters and stages of water treatment, giving them the ability to create drinking water from highly contaminated water sources. The mobile water stations target highly vulnerable rural communities. Authorities of the two villages where the stations are located share water with their neighbors, trucking purified water into other underserved, remote villages. The mobile stations can be relocated as needs and local priorities change.

In addition, IsraAID has rehabilitated eight boreholes in Shevchenkivska Hromada, a rural region on the border between Mykolaiv and Kherson Oblasts. The area was on the front lines of the fighting during the Russian occupation of Kherson, damaging many homes in the region and affecting access to infrastructure, shelter, and supplies.  The organization provided and installed eight sets of advanced pumping equipment for existing boreholes, which reduced electricity consumption at a time when consistent supply was not guaranteed.

IsraAID’s Water Supply Project Manager, Pavlo Dudnyk, said:

“IsraAID is proud to support Ukrainians’ access to safe drinking water across the country’s south, where many have been cut off from infrastructure for nearly two years.

In our technological solutions, we aim for the best quality and sustainability. For example, we use the most reliable equipment in Shevchenkivska Hromada, where we rehabilitated and upgraded the existing borehole. The stations are equipped with water level and engine temperature indicators, as well as current and voltage protection – helping communities maintain the equipment and a high level of water quality. The unique frequency adaptors reduce the load on local electricity networks, significantly reducing electricity supply at a time when power is a scarce resource.”

-ENDS-

Further information is available on request, including interviews with IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer and other individuals involved in this operation.

CONTACT:

Shachar May
Email: [email protected]

Notes:

IsraAID is a leading international humanitarian non-governmental organization, based in Israel. Since 2001, IsraAID has become synonymous with a rapid response to humanitarian crises. Its medical teams, post-trauma experts, community specialists and other professionals have led international responses to disasters and civil strife around the world. During and after emergencies, IsraAID partners with local communities to re-build their lives, their communities and their futures, together. As of June 2022, IsraAID has responded to crises in more than 55 countries.

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