A map of nitrate pollution in groundwater was presented in Ukraine: more than half of the samples exceed nitrate limits in five districts.
An interactive map of groundwater nitrate pollution has been presented in Ukraine. Data for 2024 show that in some regions, more than half of the water samples from wells and boreholes fail to meet sanitary standards for nitrate levels.
The map covers data from 2015 to 2024 and was created by NGO Ecoaction based on the results of laboratory tests conducted by the regional centres for disease control and prevention of Ukraine’s Ministry of Health.
The highest shares of water samples exceeding the limit were recorded in Mykolaiv Oblast – 65.1%, Odesa Oblast – 59.2%, Kharkiv Oblast – 55.4%, Kirovohrad Oblast – 53.6%, and Sumy Oblast – 52.6%.
Significant shares of samples exceeding the limit were also recorded in Zhytomyr Oblast – 40.3%, Khmelnytskyi and Kyiv oblasts – 37.3%, Vinnytsia Oblast – 32.7%, Poltava Oblast – 32.3%, and Cherkasy Oblast – 31.2%. The lowest figures are seen in the west of the country: Zakarpattia Oblast has 0% of samples exceeding the limit, Chernivtsi Oblast – 3.8%, Ternopil Oblast – 12.6%, and Lviv Oblast – 13.3%. No data are available for Luhansk Oblast (since 2022; before 2022, up to 13% of samples exceeded the limit) or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea because monitoring cannot be carried out there.
According to Mariia Bielkina, Head of the Agriculture Department at NGO Ecoaction, the high percentage of samples exceeding the limit and the large differences in sample numbers across regions indicate systemic gaps in monitoring water condition and quality. She notes that state groundwater monitoring, which should be carried out by the State Service of Geology and Subsoil of Ukraine, has effectively been suspended since 2022 due to a lack of funding.
Thanks to the drinking water monitoring conducted by the Ministry of Health, we do have a partial picture of where the problems are, but the available data from different oblasts differ substantially in scope, making a full assessment of the situation difficult.
“Nitrates have no smell, taste, or colour, but their excessive accumulation in water can pose a real threat to health. To assess the scale of the problem and address it effectively, Ukraine needs regular and comprehensive state monitoring, transparent data, and proper identification of zones vulnerable to nitrate accumulation,” Mariia Bielkina notes.
As Mariia Bielkina explains, nitrate pollution is most often caused by poor agricultural practices, including improper storage and application of fertilisers, manure management at livestock farms, as well as contamination of groundwater due to poor wastewater management or leaks from inadequate sewage systems. Wells drawing from shallow groundwater face the highest risks because they are the least protected from surface pollutants.
At the same time, experts stress that the problem cannot be solved with piecemeal measures. Systemic control and pollution prevention require implementation of the EU Nitrate Directive at the legislative level. This is exactly what draft law No. 11486 provides for: it defines the monitoring procedure, the responsible authorities, and the rules for farms operating in vulnerable zones. The document has already been in the Verkhovna Rada for a year and a half and still has not been put to a vote.
Translated from Ukrainian by Ecoaction volunteer Nina Novoselska.