Abstract:
On the threshold of the third millennium, one of the most significant issues of human devel- opment is the growing shortage of water resources. According to the UN, in 2011, 41 coun- tries faced water scarcity, ten of which actually depleted or polluted their renewable fresh water resources . According to forecasts, the permanent shortage of water will increase from year to year. At the same time, for most countries of the world, the main problem is the lack of clean
sources of water supply. Reliable assessment and forecasting of the quality of water sources that may be suitable for drinking and household purposes are of great importance. Often powerful pollution of water supply sources is caused by the occurrence of diverse man-made situations.
Recently in Ukraine, there has been a tendency to increase the number of these situations. The level of environmental pollution both in the whole country and within the Kherson region remains
quite high. Therefore, in modern times, it is relevant to assess the level of technogenic load on certain territories and water areas, followed by determining the level of the potential for the rational use of certain sources of water supply. When determining the nature and magni- tude of the impact of man-made load on the water resources of the Kherson region, the prin- ciple of calculating the module of technogenic load on water bodies was applied in the work. For a comparative assessment of the load on the water resources of the region were addition- ally taken into account the total water intake, the use of fresh water, the dynamics of discharge
and the structure of return water. The performed special studies have noted the improvement of the ecological state of the region’s environment. This is due to a significant decrease in waste- water discharges, which have almost halved compared to the beginning of the century. The value of the module of technogenic load on water bodies in terms of wastewater discharges and pol- lutants in their composition has decreased by 25-30% compared to the beginning of the century. The most significant negative technogenic impact on the water bodies of the region is exerted by the Kherson enterprises of housing and communal services.