**How a hydro-punch affects water quality** {title} Hydro-punches, also known as water hammers, can have significant impacts on water quality. Here's how: 1. **Pipe Damage**: The sudden change in pressure can cause pipes to crack or burst, leading to contamination from soil or other external sources. 2. **Sediment Stirring**: The shockwave can stir up sediment and other particles in the pipes, leading to discolored water and potential health issues. 3. **Corrosion**: Frequent hydro-punches can accelerate the corrosion of pipes, further degrading water quality and potentially leading to leaks. 4. **Water Pressure Changes**: The sudden pressure changes can affect water flow rates and pressure, which can impact water heaters, appliances, and plumbing fixtures. 5. **Water Treatment Issues**: Hydro-punches can disrupt water treatment processes, leading to temporary reductions in water quality. To mitigate these effects, it's important to address the root causes of hydro-punches, such as rapid valve closure or sudden water demand changes. Regular pipe maintenance and water system upgrades can also help prevent these issues.

One of the reasons for secondary water pollution in the water supply network can be a water hammer that occurs due to a sudden change in the pressure of the liquid in the pipeline. It can occur during the turn-on of water after network repairs, or due to the shutdown of worn-out pumping equipment.

After network repairs

In small scales, water hammers can occur during network repairs. After the water is turned off for a certain period of time and then turned on again, rust deposits on the walls of the pipes are torn off, which can enter the consumers' taps.

To get clean water after the completion of pipe repairs, it is sufficient to simply drain it for a few minutes until it becomes clear again. Moreover, after repair work on our networks, we always carry out flushings to clean the pipelines before restoring water supply.

Due to outdated equipment

However, water hammers can also occur on a larger scale and result in more serious consequences. This can happen due to the shutdown of outdated pumping equipment with uncontrolled reverse flows of large volumes of water.

Such powerful water hammers do not occur frequently, but they can lead to serious emergency situations: damage to pipelines and the formation of leaks.

We already know how to solve the problem

To minimize such emergency situations, the technology of water hammer prevention will be implemented at the Dnieper and Desna Water Treatment Stations in the near future.

The technology involves the installation of hydraulic water hammer prevention valves, automatic and combined air valves, replacement of outdated shut-off equipment and reverse valves with new ones of foreign origin.

Equipment of the water hammer prevention system:

- instantly detects changes in pressure in the system and automatically responds to them according to the set settings;

- operates in automatic mode without the use of external power sources;

- allows for remote monitoring of the equipment's status.

Work on implementing the technology will be carried out using loan funds within the framework of the "French Concessional Budgetary Loans" program, which is provided by the French government for the modernization of Kyivvodokanal's infrastructure facilities.

The signing of the loan agreement is planned for the end of the first half of 2021. After obtaining financing, it will take approximately one year to implement the technology.