Safe water is a source of life
By Yulia YurovaKarlovka, Donetsk region, November 2015 – The Filter Station “Krasnoarmiis’ka” is located nearby the Donetsk Airport area where explosions and exchange of fire are still heard these days. This is the so-called “grey zone” where the conflict is still active. Here the station is situated on the outskirts of Karlivka village nearby Karlivs’ky reservoir.
This filter station is a complex of old brick buildings with deep reservoirs of water hidden underground, big warehouses with chlorine containers, section with colorful water pumps and separately standing laboratory. Not impressive by the way it looks, but critical by its role in safe water supply for a half of million of people living in Donetsk region.
UNICEF Ukraine/2015/A.Getman
Cellophane instead of glass: these windows at the water station building were broken during shelling in the nearby area
“Last year, this area was heavily affected by the escalation of the conflict. As a result, there have been numerous damages of the water pipeline. During one month our staff was working under the shelling, risking their lives. You could still see the results of the shelling on the road and broken windows, which were damaged at that time. We were able to restore it partly,” – told Vitaliy Chorniy, Chief Engineer of Krasnoarmiis’k Regional Production Office.
Krasnoarmiis’ka filter station is part of Voda Donbasa public water utility company - the largest company working for the last 85 years in the sphere of housing and communal services of Ukraine, which serves 214 settlements of Donetsk region.
The main objective of Voda Donbasa is to collect raw water, treat and deliver safe water to the people in the south-western part of Donetsk region. Donetsk region has only one alternative source of water from the river Seversky Donetsk situated in the north of the region and South Donbas water pipeline is the only source of water supply.
“The Geneva Conventions specifically prohibit the targeting of civilian infrastructure such as water supplies,” – said William Fellows, Head of UNICEF Ukraine’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene section.
How crude water becomes cleanThe first stage of water cleaning at Voda Donbasa filter station is a technical water treatment. Water from the Seversky Donetsk river in the north comes here via a complex network of open channels and pipelines. Here water is collected in pools where particles of dirt are absorbed from water by added chemicals.
Water is mixed with coagulant aluminum sulfate, which is used to absorb particles of dirt from the crude water. The coagulant is supplied to Voda Donbasa by other international donors.
The next step of cleaning water is chlorination. Crude, natural water contains different kinds of bacteria. Chlorine is used to kill pathogenic bacteria. If water is not disinfected, bacteria might contaminate the entire water supply network. Liquefied chlorine gas is one of the most common agents that is used for disinfection of water in Ukraine.
Containers with liquefied chlorine - the only reagent which is used for disinfection of water
Liquefied chlorine gas from containers supplied by UNICEF is mixed with water for the primary and secondary chlorination. The weight of each container is ± 900 kg. UNICEF supplies to Voda Donbasa as many as 48,000–72,000 kg of liquefied chlorine gas each month to ensure safe drinking water in the Donetsk region.
In the separate buildings there is a room with control equipment to check the level of chlorine in the water and laboratory of water quality control which is the most important step in the water supply. The last step in the chain is water pump section where cleaned water is directed to the water supply pipelines.
Safe water for 1 million peopleUNICEF with support of ECHO and CERF, provided liquefied chlorine gas to Voda Donbasa to ensure safe drinking water through their five filter stations reach approximately 1 million people every month.
Funding from ECHO enabled UNICEF to ensure monthly supply of chlorine for one month, while the funding from CERF ensures the consistency in supply of liquefied chlorine to Voda Donbasa till the end of the year 2015. UNICEF is committed to continue these life-saving interventions providing access to safe drinking water for 1.2 million of conflict-affected people in 2016.
Talking to the UNICEF team at the Krasnoarmiis’ka filter station, Vitaliy Chornyy told us:
“I would like to thank your organization for providing chlorine in such a difficult time for us. Chlorine is the only one reagent which is used for disinfection of water to ensure people provided with safe drinking water.”