In Korotych, water tower helps families access clean water supply
Thanks to a UNICEF project funded by the French Government, around 200 residents of Korotych now have uninterrupted access to clean water.
- Українська
- English
Victoria, 46, has lived in Korotych her entire life. Her family roots run deep in this village, located near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, and now her own children are growing up here too. But for decades, there was one major problem – the water.
For years, the quality of the water was poor and her village frequently faced shortages due to failing infrastructure.
"My mother is 64 years old,” says Victoria. “When she was in first grade, the old water tower was built and water pipes were laid. Until this year, the system was in terrible condition. The water was rusty and smelled awful.”
Now, thanks to a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) project funded by the French Government, a new water tower has been installed, ensuring that around 200 residents of the village have uninterrupted access to clean drinking water, even during power outages.
According to the local utility service, the new installation delivers better quality water to homes, providing families with children access to safe drinking water and improved hygiene.
“Now, the water is cleaner. This is about our health. I want my children to be healthy. When you wash clothes, you want them to come out white, not yellow.”
Recently, like millions living through the ongoing war in Ukraine, life has been a struggle for Victoria and her family. She lost her husband, a soldier, in 2022 and now lives with her youngest child, 13-year-old Maria. Together, they manage a vegetable garden and a small orchard, watering their crops with water from the central supply.
“I believe that water quality is very important for a family,” she says. “We use it in everyday life.”
Liudmyla Obraztsova, an economic specialist at the village council, agrees that the water quality in Korotych had been a significant concern for villagers for years.
"There were many complaints from residents about the water in Korotych. People had a lot of questions. But when the new tower was installed, they realized that good things were happening, even in wartime. People are thankful.”
Yuriy Bugay, an employee at the local water utility company, says the water quality is monitored monthly.
"The old water tower was worn out, causing constant interruptions due to accidents and breakdowns. When we had poor readings, we contacted the sanitary service, and while the issues were temporarily resolved, the problems kept recurring. With the new tower, we can now improve the quality of the water for everyone.”
Looking ahead, Yuriy says that the next step is to partially upgrade the water pipes. However, the implementation of this project depends on the municipality's budget.
According to a national report on drinking water quality, as of 2023, almost 10 million people in Ukraine, including nearly 1.7 million children, lacked access to safely managed water services, while 20 million people, including almost 3.4 million children, lacked access to centralized wastewater collection and treatment facilities.
Furthermore, a report by UNICEF on water supply in Ukrainian households conducted in May 2024 shows that, due to poor water quality, 55 per cent of respondents do not use tap water for drinking. They turn to alternative water sources, including bottled water, filtered tap water and natural drinking water sources.
In 2023, UNICEF facilitated safe water supply and sanitation services to over 5.4 million people through technical support to water utility companies, restoring damaged infrastructure, and supplying essential equipment and chemicals for water purification. Since the beginning of 2024, almost 4 million people have gained safe and equitable access to sufficient quantity and quality of water for their drinking and domestic needs thanks to UNICEF interventions.
