WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF UNDERGROUND SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY OF THE RIVNE REGION

Abstract

The state of water resources and water supply of the population ofUkraine remains one of the major pressing threats to the nationalsecurity of Ukraine in the ecological sphere, which in the conditions ofeconomic and political transformation, military conflict and in theconditions of moisture redistribution acquires new aspects andacuteness. The issue of adaptation of water management in the face ofclimate change is of particular relevance.The territory of Ukraine is provided with irregular water resourcesand some regions are extremely affected by the scarcity of thisresource. Artesian waters of Ukraine are often characterized by highconcentrations of iron – in about 50% of underground water intakesthere is a high concentration of iron. And that number tends toincrease. Excessive concentrations of iron give the water a brownish color, an unpleasant metallic taste, causes overgrown water pipesand fittings. In small towns, groundwater and artesian water are used.Groundwater is extracted from wells and shallow wells, mostly up to40-50 m. They often contain pesticides and herbicides, heavy metalions, surfactants and other dangerous substances. The water qualityin the wells of Rivne region differs in physicochemical parameters anddepends significantly on the rocks that surround the aquifer.For water treatment of groundwater use non-reagent, reagent, cationexchange, biochemical methods. Each has its own peculiarities of use.It is most expedient and economically advantageous to apply nonreagent aeration methods of water desalination with simultaneousdegassing of dissolved gases and filtration through fast filters.During 2013-2017 water samples were taken and studies of thephysicochemical composition of natural water from wells in Rivneregion were conducted. The composition of water varied in a numberof indicators, in particular the content of iron, hydrogen sulfide anddissolved carbon dioxide.The quality of artesian water from wells located in differentsettlements of Rivne region is analyzed; the trends of the qualitativestate of underground artesian horizons are outlined;recommendations for water treatment of iron-containing water aresubstantiated. The physicochemical composition of water fromunderground horizons of different settlements of Rivne region isgiven.