Environmental consequences of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam explosion and ways to improve water supply to the population

Abstract

The explosion destruction of the Kakhovka hydropower plant on June 6, 2023 led to water ecological disaster: flooding of large areas, loss of life, loss of unique ecosystems, pollution and enormous damage. The UN estimates that 700 000 people do not have adequate access to drinking water. The water supply system that uses surface water is imperfect under critical conditions and is the first to collapse. It is therefore the policy of the state to introduce a system of groundwater supply to the population. This article discusses the availability of forecasted resources and operational groundwater reserves in the region and their development. Dnipropetrovska, Zaporizka, Mykolaivska, and Khersonska regions have a reserve of operational reserves of drinking groundwater. The total amount of forecasted resources on the territory of these four administrative regions is 8055,7 thousand m³/day, of which the balance operational reserves of drinking and industrial groundwater in 141 sites in the amount of 1871,825 thousand m³/day in the sum of categories A + B + C₁ and 183,123 thousand m³/d in category C₂ have been explored and registered. This indicates the possibility of expanding water supply through environmentally protected, already explored groundwater sources. Khersonska region has suffered the greatest losses as a result of flooding. The development of operating groundwater reserves in Khersonska region at the moment is only 11,12%. The complicated hydrochemical situation of the underground hydrosphere in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine necessitates the introduction of modern methods of water treatment to bring groundwater to a state suitable for drinking, along with the expansion of groundwater consumption to meet economic and drinking needs of the population. As the experience of other countries shows, effective solution of this problem requires state intervention at the level of development, implementation and financing of relevant state programmes.

Keywords

• kakhovka hpp
• flooding
• groundwater
• operating reserves
• water supply
• ecological and technological sustainability