Kim tells when drinking water will be available in Mykolaiv taps

In Mykolaiv, tap water can already be called clean — Vitalii Kim explained when it will be allowed to drink. Photo: Mykolaiv Regional Water Association

Drinking water may appear in the taps of Mykolaiv residents in six months to a month. That's how long it takes to complete all the work at the treatment plant and get official laboratory reports.

Vitalii Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional Water Management Company, told «NovynyLIVE».

According to him, the water in the system is already much cleaner, and residents notice it themselves. Vitalii Kim said that people even conduct their own tests — one woman left the water she collected for 4 months and did not see any sediments.

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«Now we can say that the water is already clean. And people immediately ask if they can drink it from the tap. Previously, everyone asked when there would be clean water, and now they ask why we don't say that it is already suitable for drinking. Yesterday I was in a hairdresser in the centre. A woman said: «I've been wondering why you're not saying anything. I put water in a basin, left it for 4 months and 4 days — no sediment. The water is clean and pleasant. So why don't you say it's safe to drink?» says Vitalii Kim.

Despite this, they cannot officially announce drinking water yet. The city is finishing setting up two levels of purification, and laboratories have to confirm the parameters in accordance with the local DSTU (National Standarts of Ukraine). According to Kyiv standards, this water is already considered potable, but it is necessary to prove compliance with Mykolaiv requirements.

«We are finalising the parameters of the treatment plant. Another funny thing is that Kyiv and we have different DSTU. There are 12 main parameters there, and we are still missing one. But according to the Kyiv DSTU, this water is already potable. Therefore, we are no worse than Kyiv in terms of quality, but by law we have to bring it up to our standard. We need to wait until everything is completed. We are completing two more levels of the treatment plant, and everything needs to be checked,» said Vitalii Kim.

In addition, the system continues to displace the old water that was left in the pipes before. As a result, the quality varies by district: in the centre, the water has been completely renewed, while in remote areas it may still be mixed.

«The new water is now replacing the old water that was in the pipes. In the centre, it has already been completely renewed and is clean, while in remote areas it may still be mixed. If we tell people now that they can drink it, they will start doing it everywhere, and that's not right. We need to wait, I think six months to a month. We need test results and the signature of the laboratories. In the meantime, people can take free drinking water at the points of distribution — these points will continue to operate,» added Vitalii Kim.

As a reminder, on 7 October, Mykolaiv was connected to a new water supply system that supplies the city with water. According to Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych, the water supply system is already operating in the system of Mykolaivvodokanal, and the filtration system at the treatment plant has been updated — 4 out of 8 filters have been replaced so far, and 4 more are planned to be replaced in the near future.

Vitalii Kim also said that Mykolaiv residents can expect clean water to be available in their taps by the end of 2025 or early next year.

The mayor also stressed that after the launch of the new water supply system, the city continues to flush the networks, so you can see open fire hydrants on the streets — this is planned work, not an accident.

By the end of the year, Mykolaiv plans to build additional water treatment facilities that will significantly improve water quality. Their funding is provided from the state budget.