Workshop “Safe water and sanitation in rural areas” was conducted in Nova Kahovka, October 31 – November 1, 2013.

The organizer of the event — “MAMA-86 Nova Kahovka” with support of Global Water Partnership of Ukraine (GWP-Ukraine). The purposes of the workshop were to introduce the Water Safety Plan (WSP) and present the Ukrainian experience of implementation of Water Safety Plan (WSP) and natural biological systems for wastewater treatment in Ukraine, discuss problems of sanitary-epidemiological well-being in rural areas of Khersonska oblast and possible effective solutions of them.

45 participants, including heads and representatives of 8 village councils of Khersonska oblast, representatives of the Regional State Administration and SES of Khersonska oblast, Executive Committee and Ecological Inspection of Nova Kahovka, students of Nova Kahovka Agrotechnical College, employers and other stakeholders of Khersonska and Mykolaivska oblasts attended the workshop.

The invited authorities spoke about problems of water supply, sewerage, underflooding, solid domestic waste and financing. G.M. Romanenko, Environmental Policy Advisor of the Head of Khersonska Oblast State Administration, informed the participants about problems of drinking water, status of the Dnieper reservoirs and negative effects of Dnieper flow regulation. Furthermore, G.M. Romanenko highlighted that the Khersonska oblast is planning to solve the problem of solid domestic waste by separate collection and recycling, rejecting incineration.

A.K. Slabchak, Deputy Chief of State SES of Khersonska oblast, highlighted the need to find new effective technologies for domestic wastewater treatment in rural communities and confirmed that State SES is ready to cooperate with stakeholders, including NGOs. A.M. Lymar, Head of Environmental Inspection of Nova Kahovka`s State Executive Committee, stressed the importance and urgency of solving the problems of the environmental well-being in urban and rural areas.

Anna Tsvetkova, representative of GWP CEE Expert Group on Sustainable Sanitation and Water Programs Coordinator of UNENGO “MAMA-86”, presented the concept and tools of drinking water safety ensuring, which have been developed by WHO. Head of “MAMA-86 New Kahovka” Thaisia Kozak shared the experience of Water Safety Plans developing for rural communities. The major part of the Workshop was devoted to present the experience of implementation of phytoremediation technologies in Ukraine. Experts of Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute of Ecological Problems presented technology of biogas, constructed wetland, bioplato, trenches of groundwater recharge and other technologies for wastewater treatment (WWT) in non-canalized areas.

Representatives of rural community also discuss local issues: communal problems and work with communities for solving solid waste problems, sanitation problems and rehabilitation of the old wastewater treatment units in the villages Vesele and Obryvka. Specialists on natural WWT provided the preliminary consultations on possible technical solutions to improve access to sanitation of the 2 communities of villages Vesele and Obryvka.

Next day 25 participants of the workshop took part in the field trip to WWT Plant of city Nova Kahovka, ruins of WWT Unit in village Obryvka and one of two Ukrainian fish breeding factory, located on Dnieper river basin. 

Information about this Workshop was distributed via local and oblast mass media : “Springs”, “Business news” “Nova Kahovka”.