In Kryvyi Rih, the water quality in the Ingulets river is returning to normal, in particular the red pigment settles, washes out and should disappear in a few days.
Preliminary results of water samples taken on September 16 in the river according to 13 indicators showed that the water quality is within the limits of normative values for drinking needs, reports Ministry of Environment.
On Saturday, September 17, the current situation on the Ingulets river and further response measures were discussed on behalf of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets at an emergency interdepartmental meeting chaired by Deputy Minister Olena Kramarenko.
The participants discussed potential situations and actions in the event of a critical reduction of water in the Karachuny Reservoir to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the population.
According to the State Water Agency, which takes samples daily at the Andriyivka hydrostation, the water level in the Karachuniv reservoir is 57.72 m, while the norm is 59.00 m.
The content of chlorides in the water of the Ingulets River at the Andriivka water station, 60 km from the city of Kryvyi Rih, had significant fluctuations during September 16 – the maximum mark reached 2200 m/l with a norm of 350 mg/l for drinking needs. As of the morning of September 17, the chloride content is 220 mg/l. The hardness decreased from 19 to 6 mg-eq/l, with a norm of 7 mg-eq/l for drinking needs.
The message explained that this is due to the passage of a wave of water with a high salt content. And the likely cause of the reddening of the river was the presence of the iron mineral "hematite" or "bloodstone" in the local soil, rocks and materials used for the restoration of the spillway.
"It is important to ensure constant monitoring of the entire river, not just the section that had a red color yesterday. There is a need to form a comprehensive vision – for people's safety and quick response to any changes," said Kramarenko.
She instructed the State Environmental Inspection and the State Water Agency to constantly monitor the quality of the Ingulets River in the territories of Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv regions and promptly inform the Ministry of the Environment about the results.
The State Water Agency should soon develop operational and long-term forecasts of changes in the ecological state of the river and a plan of measures to improve it.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that on the morning of Friday, September 16, local residents of Kryvyi Rih noticed that the water in the river Ingulets turned red.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, on September 14, russian troops bombarded the city of Kryvyi Rih with 8 Kinjal and Iskander cruise missiles, which damaged the dam of the Karachuniv reservoir.
