Clean Water for 3,500 People: Ukrainian Red Cross Restores Access to Safe Drinking Water in Babyntsi, Kyiv Region
Access to safe drinking water has been restored for residents of Babyntsi, a village in the Kyiv region. Households, as well as the nearby school, kindergarten and outpatient clinic, now have reliable access to safe water. Major repairs to the water supply network were carried out under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ukrainian Red Cross and the Bucha City Council, with financial support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Arcadia.
Located 55 kilometres from Kyiv, Babyntsi was under Russian occupation in spring 2022. During that time, the already ageing water supply network sustained significant damage. For the school, kindergarten and outpatient clinic, this posed a daily threat to their ability to continue operating.
To address water supply challenges in the village, the Ukrainian Red Cross implemented a project to rehabilitate the water supply system, which included the following works:
- Construction of two water abstraction boreholes, each 80 metres deep, with a capacity of 20 m³/hour.
- Installation of pumping stations above each borehole.
- Construction and installation of a 25 m³ water tower.
- Installation of a modular water treatment unit with a capacity of 20 m³/hour.
- Installation of internal on-site water supply and sewerage networks.
- Installation of a backwash effluent discharge system, including a 12 m³ underground storage tank and an infiltration (drainage) field.
- Site landscaping, including perimeter fencing and asphalt paving.
The Ukrainian Red Cross invested approximately UAH 17.7 million in the project.
“Water from this facility is supplied to the existing municipal network. The project benefits approximately 3,500 people, as well as the local school and outpatient clinic. It serves not only residents of Babyntsi, but also the neighbouring community, which receives treated water. The design life of the system is 50 years,” said Mykyta Ilin, Head of the Housing, Shelter and Water Supply Unit at the Ukrainian Red Cross.
Before the rehabilitation of the water supply system, yellow and unsafe water with a high iron content was coming from the taps. Most residents relied on water from wells.
“Previously, most people used well water, but the groundwater here is shallow. Its quality is very poor and it has a high iron content. The new iron removal plant is an excellent and essential intervention. Residents had been waiting for it to start operating, as safe, good-quality water is fundamental to health,” said Andrii Kuprash, Head of Babyntsi and the village of Buda-Babynecka.
Today, around 3,500 residents have access to safe drinking water, including more than 380 internally displaced people who have arrived in Babyntsi from different parts of Ukraine. The municipal utility company “BuchaService” has taken over the day-to-day operation of the system.
“A significant number of internally displaced people live in this area. In addition, this is a remote community, and it was extremely important for us that such socially important infrastructure was put in place. Today, we already have a fully functioning water supply system in the Babyntsi administrative area, and this is, of course, very good news,” said Anatolii Fedoruk, Head of the Bucha City Territorial Community.
Babyntsi is one of many communities where the Ukrainian Red Cross is helping people return to normal life. This work continues.
