DEPLETION OF DRINKING GROUNDWATER RESOURCES UNDER GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE CONDITIONS – AS AN INNOVATIVE WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT FACTOR

Abstract

Sustainable development of any country is possible only if it provides a stable supply of its population and the industrial complex with drinking water in accordance with their needs. This problem is a real challenge for Ukraine as a low-water state. Besides, the water supply complex in Ukraine is in permanent crisis caused by both social-economic and natural factors, mainly global climate change. For example, for the surface waters of the Dnieper basin, the water composition changes from south to north from calcium bicarbonate to sodium chloride. Ten to 15 years ago, these changes were felt only in the lower reaches of the Dnieper River, now they have reached Kyiv region; at the same time there is a sig-nificant increase in the total mineralization of water. All signs indicate a gradual depletion of reserves and reduction of natural groundwater resources. The combination of these factors forms the current unsatisfactory state of water supply and sewerage systems. Together with permanent underfunding of the water supply and sewerage systems it has gradually led to the fact that virtually all pipelines do not operate in the regu-lar mode, in fact, they are constantly in a preaccidental and accidental state. The most striking example of this state of affairs is the loss of water taken from the water source. It can reach up to 50 percent or even more. The lack of sufficient funding makes the application of the standard for the developed countries approaches unrealistic. Consequently, non-traditional water treatment technologies that are based on other principles are required. They must ensure adequate water quality through the maximum sustainable use of the available resources and the reserves of the existing treatment plants outside the typical water treatment technology. In our opinion, the reproduction of intensified biogeochemical processes of water self-purification, which are constantly taking place in the process of its circulation on the Earth, is promising from this viewpoint. In particular, it is proposed to create on the basis of the latest hydrogen treatment plants a new type of structure that supports the own forces of known and other filters and works with the power of the geochemical barrier.