About 75% of rural residents in Ukraine use water from wells and boreholes. Due to the unregulated use of fertilizers and livestock waste, this water is no longer safe, as it contains excessive levels of nitrates. However, the situation varies across the country.
Ekodia has created an interactive map where you can find out about water safety in different regions.
Nitric acid salts, which we call nitrates, form naturally in small quantities in water and soil and are even beneficial. However, their excess has serious consequences for the human body.
Monitoring problems
The map is based on data from the Ministry of Health. Even during a full-scale war, the Ministry of Health and regional centers continue to monitor pollution dynamics. However, the State Service of Geology and Subsoil stopped this work in 2022.
Ekodia used information about the nitrate content in samples taken between 2015 and 2024. The map allows you to track pollution dynamics in the regions and shows which areas should pay attention to the problem.
The Nitrates Directive and Ukraine's lag
Environmental activists note that to remedy the situation, Ukraine should first implement the EU Nitrates Directive. This document contains tasks and mechanisms that will help reduce water pollution caused by agriculture, as well as identify areas that are more sensitive to nitrates and their accumulation.
However, Ukraine is still stalling on its implementation. Draft law No. 11486 "On the protection of waters from pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources" was registered back in August 2024. However, the matter has not yet been put to a vote.
“Ecoaction calls on the Agrarian Committee of the Verkhovna Rada to return to work on the bill and adopt it. Ukraine needs transparent rules and an effective system to prevent nitrate pollution in order to minimize risks to the environment and human health,” emphasize environmentalists.
EcoPolitiс previously reported that 86% of groundwater in Europe is free from chemical pollution, but the situation with nitrates remains tense as well.
