Dangerous water was found in wells in Kharkiv region
In the Kharkiv region, experts have discovered unsafe water in wells and natural sources. In 64,1% of tests, deviations were detected according to sanitary and chemical indicators, and in 27,5% – according to microbiological indicators. Nitrates are particularly dangerous for infants and children under three years of age.
Over nine months of 2026 year, specialists from the Kharkiv Regional Center for Control and Prevention of Diseases examined 676 samples of water from wells and natural springs for sanitary and chemical indicators, and 539 samples for microbiological indicators.
According to the research, deviations from sanitary and chemical indicators were found in 64,1% of samples, and in 27,5% – from microbiological indicators. In some samples, the concentration of nitrates exceeded the permissible limit tenfold. The water also showed exceeding of standards for total hardness, turbidity, color, oxidizing capacity, and the content of nitrates, ammonia, sulfates, iron, and dry residue.
Experts emphasize that nitrates cannot be detected by taste, color, or smell, and that boiling and standard household filters do not remove them. Nitrates are particularly dangerous for infants and children under the age of three, as they can cause oxygen deprivation. In 48,1% of the analyzed samples of well water, the nitrate content exceeded the permissible limit.
The highest levels were recorded in wells in the communities of Нововодолазька, Люботинська, and Безлюдівська in the Харьков district, the community of Близнюківська in the Лозовський district, the communities of Валківська and Краснокутська in the Богодухівський district, the communities of Старовірівська and Наталинська in the Берестинський district, the communities of Зміївська, Чугуївська, and Новопокровська in the Чугуївський district, as well as the community of Донецька in the Ізюмський district. Experts also analyzed 16 samples of water from eight natural springs in Харьков, identifying deviations in the microbiological indicators of water from four springs. The Kharkiv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention advises using water whose safety has been confirmed by laboratory tests for drinking and cooking, and recommends choosing safe, packaged water specifically for infant formula. The center also provides services for disinfecting water in wells at the phone number 057 315-01-43.