Mitryasova, O. CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY: Monograph. Mykolaiv: PMBSNU, 2026, 124 p.

CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY Fig. 1.23. Volunteer water movement (photo from open sources). Salty compromise Since the city could not function with an empty sewerage, in May 2022 it was decided to fill the system with water from the Buh estuary. It was a choice between no water at all and water that was technically unsuitable for the grid. When the pressure finally appeared in the taps, the joy was short-lived. The water was salty in taste, had a yellowish color and a characteristic smell. It was impossible to use it for cooking - salt made the products bitter and unfit for consumption. Even after boiling, a thick layer of white coating remained on the walls of the kettles. The salt began to act on the old iron pipes instantly. Within a few weeks, the number of gusts in the city increased significantly. Salt "ate" the metal from the inside, rust clogged faucets and filters in apartments. Household appliances —washing machines, dishwashers, boilers — began to fail en masse. There was no point in repairing them as long as aggressive salt water remained in the system. This decision saved Mykolaiv from epidemics and sewage shutdowns, but in fact signed a death sentence to the city water supply, which began to crumble before our eyes. Alternative ways and technology of "technical" water supply After the destruction of the Dnipro-Mykolaiv water pipeline, the city was in a complete water vacuum for almost a month. Only on May 9, 2022, the pressure in the system was restored, but it was completely different water - exclusively technical, unsuitable for consumption and even cooking. 36