In one quarter of the educational institutions in the country the water parameters do not comply with sanitary-chemical regulations. The most affected are the schools from the districts Cimișlia, Ceadâr-Lunga, Ștefan-Vodă, Leova, Hâncești, where nitrates, fluorine, boron, hydrogen sulphide and ammonia parameters exceeded admitted levels, according to National Public Health Agency data.

Asked by IPN, Mariana Tutunaru, a hygienist doctor, said that hygienically non-potable water causes different pathologies, depending on the deficiency or the surplus of chemical components. It influences the digestive tract. It can even cause gastritis or cholecystitis. It also impacts the liver.

According to the specialist, due to the fluoride in the water, children face the risk of developing dental fluorosis, which is characterized by intrinsic tooth discoloration, and, in some cases, physical damage to the teeth. The specialist suggested that a solution to the problem would be to install filters or to provide educational institutions with bottled drinking water.

Specialists recommend the treatment of non-complying water - defluorination, elimination of calcium and magnesium salts, etc. It is also recommended to boil water in order to avoid transmissible diseases conditioned by the quality of the water.

More than 2700 pre-school, primary, secondary and high school institutions operate in Moldova. Most are connected to the centralized water supply system.