Arriving in Alchevsk by Prospect Metallurgov from the side of Lugansk there opens a wide panorama of the city with the smoky flagtowers of the plant pipes. On the right behind the clinic among the green trees there are regular shapes of the industrial building. This is the Aquaservice factory.

At the beginning of the 90’s Vasiliy Fiodorovich Lysiuk – head of the automatic administration of technological processes in fuel and energy industry department of the Donetsk National Technical University – was assigned with the task to consider the question of using modern technologies in developing the project of water treatment floor reconstruction at the Alchevskiy iron and steel factory. With the view of learning some modern foreign creations he was sent abroad where he established contacts with General Electric (GE) - Osmonics. At that time this company was supplying Stirol factory (Gorlovka) with equipment. As a representative of the potential customer he was shown a few examples of equipment installation at European and US enterprises. Afterwards GE prepared commercial offer for delivery of the industrial water production equipment for Alchevskiy iron and steel factory.

Everything was prepared for signing a contract, but due to economic situation in Ukraine in the early 90’s this project was not implemented.

The time was changing. The owners of the enterprise were changing. The economic situation was changing for the better. And the question of the water quality was still on the agenda. The main reasons for drinking water concerns were progressive tendency of declining the water quality in Lugansk region, as well as the necessity to increase the water supply volumes for better quality of the processes at Alchevskiy iron and steel factory.

It is Vasiliy Fiodorovich Lysiuk who convinced investors to take on such a complicated long-term project. His arguments were not only about the industrial water, but mainly about the drinking water of the highest quality standards.

Finally in 2005 based on the existing enterprise supplying technical water for Alchevskiy iron and steel factory the construction of the new factory was started. Aquaservice CJSC united the like-minded persons: scientists and highly professional specialists who gained valuable experience with the water purification equipment, water supply and sewer systems functioning. There prepared a special class of graduates in the Donetsk National Technical University that received working places at the factory. The main task of the factory was to supply timely and in full Alchevskiy iron and steel factory with the technical water and adjust the industrial volumes of water purification up to the drinking water standards. It was expected the further realization of the drinking water to the iron and steel factory (for personnel needs) and with the assistance of local authorities – to the general water pipe of the city.

As explained by deputy chairman of the board of Aquaservice CJSC Pavlyk M. A., the factory is just a first portent in the drinking water supply system of Lugansk region, where the length of the water pipeline system constitutes a few hundred kilometers while the closed mines situated not far away are ideal source for water supply to the population.

One of the methods considered for drinking water extraction was the purification of the mine waters. In order to prove the high efficiency of the equipment the water of the mine Briankovskaya was chosen as it had the poorest figures comparing to other coal enterprises, namely: mineralization – 4,0 grams per liter, hardness - 28,5 milligrams per liter, iron content – from 15 to 46 milligrams per liter. After one year of monitoring the possibility to receive high quality water even from such a source was proved by specialists.

Till the February 2007 the equipment was installed, and the factory could start functioning. Reliable equipment delivered by GE-Osmonics, experience gained by the enterprise, personnel of high expertise – all these factors guaranteed success in obtaining the water of the highest standards quality – regardless of the water source.

Representatives of the American company-supplier came for project launching, but unexpected problem arose – the water figures didn’t meet the state quality standards of Ukraine which were more strict than American ones. The launch of the project was postponed. The pilot model of the factory, a few dozen times less than the real one, was prepared and during one year the adjustments were made. After all start-up procedures, equipment monitoring, and increase of the water quality up to the state quality standards of Ukraine the factory was started in the first quarter of 2008.

No country of the CIS region has ever introduced such equipment. The technology allows us to receive absolutely pure water without particles even of the virus-size (!), and decrease the concentration of the components up to 96-99%.

Unfortunately, Vasiliy Sidorovich Lysiuk didn’t live to see how his ideas were realized in a great production that would remind as a great monument proving that living and acting for the sake of people is the best way to remain in the memories of the grateful descendants.

Nowadays, Aquaservice works to the 1/5 of its capacity (estimated capacity is 500 m3/hour), monitoring of the water is being conducted according to 40 figures.

The factory is really cost effective. It is serviced by 22 persons. The Director of the factory, Viacheslav Anatolievich Chuprina, hopes that in the nearest future the inhabitants of Alchevsk will be able to drink the water just from the faucet without worrying about their health. So in a very burning question for Donbass as to the pure water, Alchevsk became a city-innovator!

It is hoped that our children will know of the smell of chlorinated water just from the history books and grandmas’ tales.

Our future relies on us!