Prospects of alternative water supply for the population of Ukraine during wartime and post-war reconstruction.

Russia is using water supply as a weapon. Ukraine's water infrastructure is being systematically destroyed. To date, Ukraine has lost almost a third of its accumulated fresh water reserves (approximately 19 km3) worth over $US18 billion, and damage to canals, pipelines, pumping stations and water supply systems has left more than 5 million people without drinking water. The loss of hydrostatic pressure in the Kakhovka Reservoir changes storage and flow in aquifers and surface waters, as well as water intake structures. We review the main elements of the structure of water supply, water distribution, and wastewater discharge within Ukraine's river basins, and substantiate the prospects and technological solutions for the construction of wells to provide water from underground sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]