‘Paths to Water’ Guides Ukrainians to Safe Drinking Water Amid Conflict

As Ukraine enters its third year of conflict, widespread destruction of water supply systems has left many communities struggling for access to this basic need. In response, iMMAP Inc. has developed a holistic system that enables residents to locate vital water supplies while empowering authorities to coordinate with humanitarian organizations and maintain sustainable distribution networks.

In the wake of Russia's invasion, the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv found itself in the grip of a severe water crisis. Russian missiles destroyed the central pipeline supplying water from the Dnipro River and Kakhovka Reservoir to nearly 400,000 residents. The subsequent destruction of the Kakhovka Dam made pipeline restoration impossible, leaving the city desperate for alternatives. While a new pipeline from the Southern Bug River was hastily constructed, its water salinity level was too high, proved unfit for consumption. In response, humanitarian organizations, in coordination with the WASH cluster and Mykolaiv city administration, established water distribution points as the primary source of drinking water for residents. This highlighted the need for a tool to centralize data on these stations and help residents navigate the network.

Tackling this challenge head-on, iMMAP Inc. collaborated with local stakeholders in launching an innovative water distribution network, ХодиДоВоди [Paths to Water in English]. This online platform simultaneously addresses Mykolaivians’ needs for real-time information on potable water while aiding the local authorities and humanitarian partners with a robust coordination tool to manage water supplies.

Developed in the fall of 2023 and delivered to the Mykolaiv City Council within three months, the Paths to Water platform provides users with crucial information such as station locations, the type of water available, quality certificates, operating hours, and the status of each water point (whether operational or under maintenance). Users can also quickly plan routes to their nearest station.

"I believe this is one of the most impactful tools iMMAP Inc. Ukraine has ever developed. We created a system that is designed primarily for people, not just organizations. This map allows residents to clearly see the locations of available drinking water supplies.”

- Fridon Japaridze , iMMAP Inc. Country Representative for Ukraine

One of the key features of the Water Distribution Points System is the community feedback mechanism, which allows users to rate both the performance of the stations and the system itself. The feedback loop not only helps identify and resolve issues quickly but also provides valuable data for long-term improvements.

Viktor Zuiev, an Information Management Officer (IMO) at iMMAP Inc. who played an instrumental role in developing the tool, says that the feedback rating mechanism “helps humanitarian organizations and local authorities improve their services and better meet the population’s need for safe drinking water.” Additionally, the system serves as an effective complaint tool for residents, ensuring accountability to the affected population.

Since its introduction in December 2024, the Paths to Water system has supported 280 water distribution points, serving more than 250,000 people daily.

Throughout this period, iMMAP Inc. has collaborated closely with the WASH cluster, its partner organizations, and the City Council, ensuring robust technical support and ongoing refinement of the tool. This partnership has turned the system into a model of effective cooperation in humanitarian response.

“Beyond being a vital information resource for Mykolaiv residents […], the Water Distribution Points System fosters coordination and collaboration between local authorities, international organizations, and the local population. This makes it a truly unique project in southern Ukraine.”

- Serhiy Korenev, Deputy Mayor of Mykolaiv City Council

The success of the Paths to Water system has sparked a new phase of innovation and expansion. iMMAP Inc. and the Mykolaiv City Council are now pushing the boundaries of the platform's capabilities, driven by the evolving needs of the crisis-affected population. This renewed collaboration focuses on a series of strategic enhancements designed to make the system even more responsive and user-friendly. Planned updates include crucial features such as identifying water stations operating on generators during power outages, implementing monthly water quality analyses for each distribution point, and automating data collection for real-time map updates. Our developers are also planning to create a mobile app for the map to further accessibility for residents. As the Paths to Water project continues to adapt and grow, it stands as a testament to the power of innovative solutions in crisis response, potentially serving as a model for other regions facing similar water accessibility issues.

iMMAP Inc. provides essential IM support to help organizations make data-driven, inclusive decisions in their aid efforts. In Ukraine, this work is funded by the USAID - Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance through the "Provision of Information Management Support to Ukraine Crisis Response Clusters" project.

Read the full story??https://immap.org/story/paths-to-water-guides-ukrainians-to-safe-drinking-water-amid-conflict/

Find out more about the work we do in Ukraine: https://immap.org/ukraine/