Safe Water Is Changing Daily Life in Eastern Ukraine

Steam rises gently from a cup of tea. In a small kitchen close to the frontline in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Valentyna pours hot water while her granddaughter Svitlana sits beside her, waiting. It is a quiet, ordinary moment. But not long ago, this simple act required effort, planning, and compromise. Today, clean water flows directly from the tap.

With funding from the European Union, Medair has restored a water system that had not functioned properly for years. This has reduced the need for expensive and unsustainable water trucking and brought safe water to public spaces and people’s homes.

When water is not safe, daily life becomes a struggle

For years, water in this village was unreliable, unsafe, or simply unavailable.

Attacks during the war destroyed a major water pipeline that supplied the region from the Donbas. This intensified an already dire water crisis for the population.

“I used to live here without running water,” Valentyna explains. “The water we had before was often salty and unpleasant. We could not really use it for drinking or cooking.”

Sometimes, there was water nearby, but it was not suitable.

“There was a ditch outside the village,” she recalls. “But the water was not clean enough either.”

Even when water was available from other sources, it came with limitations.

“Ten years ago, water came from another place,” she says. “But it wasn’t drinkable. We could only use it for cleaning. No one had running water at home.”

For everyday life, this meant constant effort.

Families had to fetch water from outside the village, buy it from shops, or travel to other areas. Tasks that should take minutes could take hours.

Without safe water, even the simplest routines—cooking, washing, making tea—became burdens.

Restoring a system that had failed over time

Medair worked alongside Vodokanals, the local water supply authorities, to restore a functioning and reliable water system for the community of this war-affected frontline village. Rather than introducing a temporary solution, the focus was on repairing and upgrading what already existed. A damaged water storage tank was rehabilitated, and new pipelines were installed to connect the whole village, 1,187 individuals, directly to a safe water supply.

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“The tank was not working anymore,” explains Anton, a Medair WASH Officer. “We repaired it, installed pipes, and ensured the system was functioning properly. Now the whole village can use it.”

The work required technical precision and coordination.

A change felt in everyday moments

The difference is not measured only in infrastructure. It is felt in daily life.

“I’m really pleased to have running water now,” Valentyna says. “The water from the new tap tastes lovely.”

What once required planning and effort is now immediate.

“Our lives are better now,” she adds. “Before, we had to go outside the village to get water. Now everything is easier.”

For her granddaughter Svitlana, the change is just as tangible.

“We can now drink, cook, and make tea very quickly,” she says.

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Even small details have changed.

“When I used to wash my hair, it would always feel dry afterwards,” she explains. “Now it is much softer and easier to look after.”

These are quiet improvements, but they reflect something deeper. Access to safe water restores comfort, dignity, and a sense of normality.

Safe water in Ukraine remains a critical need

Across Ukraine, many communities continue to struggle with similar conditions. Recent humanitarian assessments coordinated by the UN estimate that around 6.43 million people will need support to access water in 2026. In areas nearer to the frontline, essential systems for water, heating, and energy have either been damaged or have gradually broken down due to a lack of resources for maintenance. Reliable access to safe water remains essential. And, in some cases, a matter of survival.

Humanitarian support plays a crucial role in restoring these systems, ensuring that people have access to sufficient and safe water for everyday use.

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Medair’s wider response in Ukraine

The rehabilitation of the water system in this frontline community in Zaporizhzhia Oblast is part of a wider project funded by the European Union across Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, reaching 123,000 people with essential water, sanitation, hygiene, and heating support.

Medair teams restore and strengthen critical infrastructure by drilling and equipping boreholes that continue to function during power cuts, repairing damaged water networks, and providing tools to local service providers. At the same time, emergency water is delivered through partners while more sustainable systems are put in place. Wastewater systems and heating infrastructure are also upgraded, helping families maintain safe living conditions, particularly during the harsh winter months.

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This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.  

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