A project on how to restore a community’s water infrastructure without creating new environmental risks. We viewed the water management system as a single integrated system: water source, water intake, water treatment, consumption, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, discharge, and the natural ecosystem. The result is an approach in which an environmental assessment is conducted before an infrastructure decision is made.
Why might the restoration of water networks actually cause harm?
Damaged wells, water mains, sewer lines, and wastewater treatment facilities deprive people of water. At the same time, they pose long-term risks to soil, groundwater, rivers, water bodies, and the ecosystems that depend on them.
Infrastructure restoration itself can become a new risk if environmental data is not taken into account during the planning phase. A new well can alter the groundwater regime. An improperly selected discharge point will place a burden on a river or floodplain. The restoration or dismantling of a hydraulic structure can alter the hydrological regime of an entire region.
How We Determined the Need
Through field surveys. The team worked in community territories: it inspected the actual condition of water sources, wells, networks, wastewater systems, treatment facilities, discharge points, and associated water bodies, and compared its findings with community documentation. The field data was supplemented by laboratory water analyses.
Goals, Objectives, and Results
The goal is to assess the current state and needs of communities’ water supply and wastewater systems and to identify well-founded priorities for their rehabilitation, taking into account the environmental implications of future decisions.
| Objectives | What was done | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Conduct on-site inspections | Inspected water sources, wells, networks, sewer systems, treatment facilities, and discharge points | Actual condition of the facilities and list of problematic ones |
| Assess water quality | Combined laboratory tests with field data | Identified areas and water sources requiring monitoring or specialized testing |
| Consider the impact of water abstraction | Analyzed water sources with regard to how groundwater abstraction affects springs, small rivers, floodplains, and wetlands | The environmental impacts of water abstraction are considered prior to investment decisions |
| Trace the wastewater cycle | The wastewater path was analyzed from generation through treatment to discharge | The location and discharge standards for treated water were incorporated into the assessment from the very beginning |
| Translate needs into a list of actions | We moved from the community’s problem to the pre-project justification | The general need to “restore water supply” becomes a list of facilities and measures for restoration programs |
This has been confirmed by practice
- a field survey must be conducted before an investment decision is made;
- technical assessments must be supplemented with laboratory and environmental data;
- water supply and wastewater disposal should be analyzed as a single system;
- the relationship between groundwater and surface water must be taken into account;
- The impact of water intake and discharge on dependent ecosystems must be assessed;
- Environmental criteria should be incorporated into future modernization projects.
How the Work Was Organized
Inquiry and Assessment
From the problem identified by the community to on-site inspections of facilities.
Water Data
Laboratory and analytical data supplement the field data.
Condition and Risk
The condition of the infrastructure is assessed alongside the environmental risks associated with each decision.
Priorities and Technical Solutions
What to do first and how to do it.
Justification and Funding
Pre-project justification and securing funding.
In this way, a general community need—such as “restoring the water supply”—is transformed into a structured list of projects and activities that can be included in recovery programs and submitted for state or international funding.
What this project did not do
Scope of Work
The project assessed needs and identified priorities for modernization. It did not fund the construction or repair of wells, networks, or treatment facilities; its outcome is a feasibility study that the community uses to apply for recovery programs.
Place within the environmental initiative
The foundation’s environmental track consists of sequential phases: each phase addressed a question raised by the previous one.
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Environmental restoration of communities affected by the war
Transition from responding to destruction to analyzing long-term risks to water, soil, and natural areas in these communities.
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Restoration of natural ecosystems and environmental sustainability in communities
The state of the environment began to be considered alongside infrastructure and people’s needs.
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Comprehensive assessment of water resources and environmental risks in communities
Pilot project in the Tsyrkunivska community: water supply, wastewater management, groundwater, and ecosystems as a single system.
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Comprehensive assessment and modernization of community water supply and wastewater systems
Field surveys and water testing. Key finding: An environmental assessment must be conducted prior to any investment decision.
This project -
Comparative assessment of water management in Ukrainian communities
A comparison of different types of communities showed that a unified assessment methodology is needed.
Ongoing -
Digital monitoring and mapping of community water ecosystems
Standardized field data collection, GIS mapping, digital model of the water body, remote engagement of experts.
Ongoing -
LIVING WATER
Transition from individual territories to a network of communities using a common methodology.
The concept has been submitted
Documents
Public
Available upon request
- Project description and team working materials
- Fund policies and compliance documents
About the Organization
Charitable Organization “International Unity Movement Foundation,” EDRPOU 44797809. Compliance management system in accordance with ISO 37301:2021. Confidential inquiries: [email protected]. The complete partner verification package is available on the partners’ page.
Discuss cooperation in the environmental sector
The project has been completed, and its findings have formed the basis for the next stages of this initiative. We are open to collaboration with communities, scientific institutions, and partners who fund restoration efforts.
