More than 2 million people in Moldova take drinking water from polluted sources. The lack of tap water in households is mainly caused by the deplorable state of the water supply and sewerage systems in towns and the absence of aqueducts in villages, the specialists of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) say. According to the figures presented on Thursday at a press conference, 50% of Moldova’s inhabitants drink polluted water. 8 in 10 wells and water sources do not correspond to sanitary standards. The daily consumption of polluted water is particularly harmful to elderly people, invalids and children. Each day the quality of the water in wells gets worse, the head of the Chisinau Territorial Organization of the Ecologic Movement’s Vladimir Garaba told Info-Prim Neo. According to him, the tap water doesn’t meet standards either. Water pipe ruptures and leaks and the unsteady supply of water create conditions for the development of pathogenic bacteria. As a result, the water becomes infected. Investigations conducted by the National Preventive Medicine Center show that 40% of the tested water samples do not meet hygienic requirements. “These circumstances have led to a twofold increase in the incidence of diseases caused by water pollution. About 80% of the diseases related to environmental problems occur because of the excessive pollution of water and only 20% are generated by other environment factors. Because of water pollution, the life expectancy of every villager reduces by 4 or 5 years”, the specialists of the Ministry of Health concluded. Ecologists say that one of the solutions is to implement projects to improve water quality, but the population should also be aware of the risks associated with disposing waste in unauthorized places. According to specialists, the projects that are to be implemented until 2015 should provide access to clean water for the entire population of Moldova. March 22 was designated by the United Nations’ General Assembly as the World Water Day.