Groundwater monitoring for drinking water supply in Ternopil city
Authors:   National Transport University, Pokshevnytska Tetyana 
Published: December 2023

The problem of contamination of underground sources of water supply in Ukraine is currently serious and requires immediate resolution. It is necessary to conduct systematic monitoring of water quality, develop and implement strategies to reduce emissions of hazardous substances and ensure proper storage of toxic waste. It is also important to increase public awareness of the need to protect the environment and use environmentally friendly technologies. In order to study the complex system of "groundwater quality - environmental impact - population health" and identify relationships between its various components, systematic monitoring of groundwater pollution in Ukraine is necessary. This monitoring may include various research methods, such as geochemical, hydrochemical, hydrogeological, and others, which will contribute to the study of the complex system of groundwater pollution in Ukraine and identify priority areas for their purification and preservation. The research utilized theoretical and empirical methods, with the main ones being a systemic approach, methods of analysis and synthesis (comparison, analogy, abstraction, formalization, classification). Standard laboratory methods for chemical analysis of groundwater quality were used in the chemical-bacteriological control laboratory serving the "Ternopilsky" water intake for drinking water. The "Ternopilsky" water intake is an object of the Municipal Enterprise "Ternopilvodokanal". The operation of facilities for the production of drinking water is carried out in accordance with technological regulations and in compliance with regulatory documentation. The main parameters that determine the quality of groundwater include chemical composition, physical properties, bacteriological composition, and radioactivity. According to regulations, drinking water must meet the requirements for drinking water quality, which includes the maximum allowable concentration of substances and the absence of pathogenic microorganisms. Due to the potential consequences for the environment and human health in case of inadequate control over water quality, we have assessed some possible consequences of such an impact. Possible consequences include: a decrease in the level of groundwater, water pollution, a change in water composition, and an impact on local flora and fauna. By the nature of the impact, excessive use of groundwater can lead to a decrease in the level of groundwater, which can lead to a decrease in soil quality and affect ecosystems that depend on groundwater; careless handling of waste and chemicals can lead to groundwater pollution, which can pose a threat to human health and ecosystems; groundwater has its own composition and level of mineralization, so improper use can lead to a change in water composition, which can affect its use for drinking and industrial water supply; groundwater is an important element for local ecosystems, so the consumption and pollution of groundwater can affect local flora and fauna. Requirements for the quality of groundwater in Ukraine are aimed at ensuring safety for drinking water supply and other needs. In order to reduce possible consequences of groundwater use, it is necessary to conduct constant monitoring of water quality, regulate water use, regulate groundwater consumption, and take measures to purify and protect it from pollution.