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 after washing, a feeling of tightness and dryness remains on the skin. This is because an excess of alkaline components reacts with the skin's natural lipid layer, destroying its protective barrier. Fig. 2.6. When measuring water quality indicators (author's photo). Corrosion tandem of alkalinity and hardness The real danger of high alkalinity is revealed in combination with excessive rigidity. This duo creates the effect of "heavy" water. For Mykolaiv networks and household appliances of citizens, this means the accelerated formation of scale and mineral deposits. In boilers, boilers and washing machines, high alkalinity stimulates the precipitation of calcium salts, which leads to premature equipment failure. Moreover, this chemical activity makes the water aggressive towards metal pipes. Even if water is not acidic, its high alkalinity in combination with salts creates conditions for electrochemical corrosion. The inner surfaces of the highways, which have already suffered from the "salt era", continue to degrade under the influence of this alkaline environment, which explains the constant presence of iron in the samples - the decay products of city pipes. Chemical cocktail in taps If pH and alkalinity create the "background" of the water crisis, then the dynamics of specific ions and metals reveal the true depth of the man-made load on Mykolaiv. The 81