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 Analysis of the salt composition showed that the metals were not just oxidized - they literally dissolved in this "chemical brine" from the inside. This explains the phenomenal number of outbursts in the city, which in 2024-2025 increased by 5-10 times compared to the pre-war period. Even when fresh water began to be supplied to the system at the beginning of 2026, the pipes' "memory" of salt aggression remained: the walls became so thin that any water hammer leads to new accidents. The data of the hydrochemical passport on salt composition have become the scientific basis for strategic decision-making. A four-point study proved that a simple return to water intake from the estuary is impossible without an expensive industrial-scale demineralization (reverse osmosis) system. This section of the "chronicle" is evidence of how chemical elements invisible to the eye - chloride, ions and sulfate ions - can become an instrument for the destruction of an entire metropolis. As of 2026, Mykolaiv continues to struggle with the consequences of this salt strike, and each replaced section of the pipe is an attempt to escape from the captivity of the "brine" that the war brought with it. The safety of the city depends not only on the strength of the walls, but also on the stability of the chemical composition of the water flowing through its arteries. Fig. 2.4. Dynamics of the level of mineralization by observation points. Acid-puddle balance of the estuary In the general system of hydrochemical indicators of the war period, pH and alkalinity are key regulatory factors. They determine the state of carbonate-calcium equilibrium, influencing the stability of water and the intensity of corrosion or scale-forming processes in distribution networks. If we taste chlorides and sulfates, then the change in hydrogen index (pH) and general alkalinity often remains imperceptible to the average consumer, until the consequences become catastrophic for the ecosystem and technical networks of the city. The study, conducted within the framework of four key points of 77