UNESCO Ensures Safe Water Access Mykolaiv Schools France Funding

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UNESCO is ensuring access to safe water in schools and communities in Mykolaiv, Ukraine

Access to clean and safe water has become a critical challenge in Ukraine, where the war has severely damaged essential infrastructure. Ensuring reliable access to safe drinking water is both a humanitarian priority and a prerequisite for protecting public health and maintaining education.

22 April 2026 Last update: 24 April 2026 In Mykolaiv, UNESCO together with local communities, is supporting access to safe water in schools and surrounding areas through a project implemented under the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and coordinated by the UNESCO Antenna Office in Kyiv, with funding from the Government of France.

Water access in times of war

Access to clean and safe drinking water is a fundamental human right. Since the beginning of the war, vital water infrastructure in many parts of Ukraine has been damaged or rendered dysfunctional. These disruptions have compromised water quality and increased the risk of microbiological and chemical contamination.

Reliable access to safe drinking water is particularly critical for schools and kindergartens. Ukrainian legislation requires that all educational institutions to provide safe drinking water in order to operate in person. In areas where urban water supply systems were damaged, boreholes have been installed on the premises of schools and preschool facilities to provide an alternative water source.

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Supporting water quality monitoring in Mykolaiv

To help safeguard water quality in these circumstances, UNESCO is supporting regular monitoring and comprehensive analysis of borehole water used in schools and communities in Mykolaiv city.

In 2024, UNESCO’s Science and Education teams conducted a detailed needs assessment involving consultations with local authorities, experts from Ukraine’s education and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) clusters, school administrators and teachers. Based on this assessment, 43 educational institutions in Mykolaiv — including schools and kindergartens — were identified as priority beneficiaries.

Many of these institutions rely on boreholes as their main and often only source of drinking water following damage to the city’s water infrastructure in 2022. Because groundwater levels and quality can change over time, regular testing is essential to ensure continued water safety.

Local municipalities often face budget constraints limiting their ability to conduct systematic water quality testing. Through this project, UNESCO is enabling local state laboratory to continue routine water monitoring and analysis.

• UNESCO / Ksenia Kravtsova All rights reserved
• UNESCO / Ksenia Kravtsova All rights reserved
• UNESCO / Ksenia Kravtsova All rights reserved
• UNESCO / Z. Sirkovych, N. Katashynska All rights reserved 1 / chevron_left chevron_right ## A systematic approach to water safety

With UNESCO’s support, local laboratory conducts routine and comprehensive water quality testing of borehole water at the participating educational institutions.

Routine testing takes place every two weeks, complemented by monthly comprehensive analyses depending on local conditions. Full chemical assessments are conducted twice per year, while biological analyses are performed monthly as required.

When tests reveal inadequate water quality, experts recommend targeted actions to improve water safety. Follow-up testing is then carried out to confirm that  safety standards have been met.

This systematic approach helps maintain consistent water monitoring, protecting the health of students, teachers and local residents while ensuring safe learning environments.

We are a small institution, and conducting a proper water analysis that meets all the criteria costs a lot. Thanks to UNESCO, which covers the cost of water testing, we get the results every week. Without water, there is no life

Oksana Borysovets, Director of Lyceum No. 8, Mykolaiv.

Protecting health and supporting education

The project has had a tangible impact on the daily lives of thousands of people.

In 2025, more than 950 routine and comprehensive water analyses were conducted, ensuringsafe drinking water for over 16,000 schoolchildren and 2,000 teachers and educational staff across 43 schools and kindergartens in Mykolaiv.

Approximately 50,000 residents in neighbouring communities also benefit from access to safe drinking water through the boreholes installed at these educational facilities.

For students, the impact is immediate and visible.

Now we have this opportunity — to go to the lyceum. We can finally drink clean water instead of staring at non-potable orange water, like Fanta.

Karina, student of Lyceum No. 8, Mykolaiv Beyond improving water safety, the project also supports the continuity of in-person education. Reliable access to safe drinking water allows schools and kindergartens to remain open, providing children with stable learning environments.

When they provided us with clean water, they called and told us that our children could come back to the kindergarten.

Hanna, mother of a pupil of Kindergarten No. 52, Mykolaiv

Supporting communities and recovery

The benefits of the project extend beyond the classroom. Access to safe water in schools helps restore confidence among families and communities, enabling parents to send their children back to school and return to work. For many displaced families, the reopening of educational institutions represents an important step toward returning home and rebuilding their lives.

Looking ahead

Despite significant progress, ensuring sustainable access to safe water remains a major challenge. According to local authorities, only about 30 percent of households in Mykolaiv are expected to be connected to the new urban water system by 2026. Full rehabilitation of the city’s water supply infrastructure is estimated to take between three and ten years.

Continued and expanded support will therefore be essential to maintain regular water quality monitoring and ensure safe water access in schools and communities.

Through this project, UNESCO is helping protect public health, support education and strengthen community resilience — ensuring that access to safe water remains a cornerstone of recovery and sustainable development in Ukraine.

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Related items

• Education
• Respond to Crises (Emergency, Post Conflict…)
• Water quality
• Water analysis
• Water and life
• War in Ukraine
• Education in emergencies
• Health education
• Country page: France
• Country page: Ukraine
• Topics: Display
• Region: Europe and North America
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