ASSESSMENT OF THE SVERDLOVSK OBLAST DRINKING WATER POLLUTION WITH HEAVY METAL

The paper presents the results of the determination of heavy metals in drinking water samples from centralized water supply systems and wells of individual water supply ofthe Sverdlovsk region. It was found that the content of copper ions in the samples does notexceed its maximum permissible concentration, and the content of lead and cadmium ionsin most samples is higher than the permissible norms. It is established that water samplesfrom Nizhny Tagil and Serov are more contaminated with cadmium. The causes of drinkingwater pollution are discussed. It was found that the pollution of water from the centralized water supply systems with heavy metals is mainly due to the non-compliance of the operatedwater pipes with sanitary and hygienic requirements. Groundwater pollution is caused by theinfiltration of industrial effluents containing heavy metals from storage and sedimentation tanks through soil. It is shown that numerous industrial enterprises in the Sverdlovsk regionaggravate the process of pollution of surface and groundwater with heavy metals. Theunsatisfactory quality of water in terms of the content of heavy metals in Sverdlovsk regionis revealed. The authors dwell on the need to continue research to determine the content ofother heavy metals in water and expand the geography of sampling in the region in order toassess more accurately the quality of water.