In the city of Irpin, an investigation into the water quality of the Irpin River has begun following the pollution of water bodies that led to a mass fish kill in the neighboring Borshchahivka community. This information was confirmed by Oleksandr Pashchynskyi, First Deputy Mayor of Irpin, in a comment to “Suspilne.”
Water samples have been sent for analysis to the microbiological laboratory of the “Kyiv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.” According to preliminary information, the test results should be ready by Tuesday.
Until the experts’ results are available, residents are advised to refrain from drinking water from wells and boreholes, as well as from swimming and fishing in the Irpin River. They should also avoid using the water for irrigation or consuming fish caught from the river.
As a reminder, on August 11, water contamination was detected in the Borshchahivka community, resulting in the death of approximately three metric tons of fish. Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, reported that while repairing a rupture in a sewer main, wastewater entered Kyiv’s stormwater drainage system, which discharges into the water bodies of the Borshchahivka community. Work was suspended, and the source of the leak was repaired. The police documented these actions.
Specialists from the State Environmental Inspection and the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection have already taken samples of the water and fish, and have organized the collection and disposal of the dead fish.
The Kyiv Regional Police have opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 242 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—violation of water protection regulations. Law enforcement officials are investigating the circumstances of the incident.
