Occupiers in Mariupol are distributing "drinking" water contaminated with faecal bacteria
VIKTORIIA ANDRIEIEVA – TUESDAY, 26 JULY 2022
The occupiers in Mariupol are handing out "drinking" water that is contaminated with bacteria usually found in faeces.
Volunteers managed to take a liquid sample to Ukrainian-controlled territory for testing.
The results of the tests have been posted on Mariupol City Hall’s Telegram channel.
Coliform bacteria, which are found in faeces, were detected in the water.
"According to the rules and regulations on sanitation, no coliforms may be present in drinking water. These bacteria fall into the e-coli group. They are frequently found in surface waters. So this water is not sufficiently decontaminated for human consumption", experts from Vodocanal (the water utility) explained.
Oleksandr Lazarenko, a doctor, says that such water is not fit for human consumption, since there is a high risk of becoming infected with dysentery, cholera or other pathogenic microorganisms.
This "drinking" water must at least be boiled in order to be decontaminated.
