Mineral Waters Without "Specific" Components
Waters without 'specific' components are distinguished only from a balneological point of view as waters that do not contain any of the components considered for therapeutic purposes in conditioning quantities, except for the total salt content, for which the lower limit of concentration is set at 2 g/l.
In Kyrgyzstan, many sources contain 2 or more g/l of dissolved substances, and most people avoid them, as such water is consumed either for therapeutic purposes or out of necessity when fresh water is unavailable. There are no widely known therapeutic sources with mineralized water in the republic, although in every locality, there is often a more frequently visited spring with a good reputation as a "savior" from some ailment.
Considering the circumstances outlined, we will provide a description of mineral waters without 'specific' components for only four sites where these waters have been uncovered by wells and are used or have good prospects for therapeutic use.
Osh Mineral Water was uncovered by well No. 977, drilled by the Takhtakush Hydrogeological Party in 1970 in the eastern part of the Osh health resort on the right bank of the Akbura River valley. The underground waters at a depth of 70 to 150 m have a chloride-sulfate magnesium-sodium-calcium composition and a mineralization of about 3 g/l. When pumped with a drop in level of 4 m, a water flow rate of 4.5 l/s was obtained, which can satisfy the largest needs for therapeutic table water for both the health resort and all residents of the regional center, if this water is bottled with additional carbonation, as is done with similar water in Almaty, Izhevsk, and other cities in the country: Osh mineral water fully meets the requirements of GOST 13273-73 for mineral waters, according to which it belongs to type XVII — Izhevsk. A similar water is bottled in Jalal-Abad, but it contains half as many dissolved substances, which likely affects the consumer characteristics of these waters. The reserves of Osh water allow for the supply of a bottling plant with a capacity of over 50 million bottles per year.
Bishkek Mineral Water was uncovered in the central part of the capital of the republic as a result of exploratory drilling conducted by specialists from the Kyrgyz Comprehensive Hydrogeological Expedition in 1978-1981.
One of the wells, at a depth interval of 1522-2009 m in Cenozoic sedimentary rocks, established the presence of chloride calcium-sodium water with a mineralization of 19 g/l and a temperature of 39°C. In terms of the quantity and ratio of macrocomponents, it is a good analogue of the water from the resorts of Staraya Russa in the Novgorod region and Palanga in Latvia.
As a rule, waters with such mineralization are not bottled but are used for therapeutic purposes on-site in baths or for drinking, most often diluted.
Cholpon-Ata Mineral Water. Currently, more than 15 deep wells have been drilled for underground waters on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, most of which have yielded positive results. Work on the search and exploration of mineral waters in this area continues today, and it will undoubtedly lead to new information about the characteristics of such waters.
We present data on the first well (No. 733), drilled in the resort area in 1974-1975 to a depth of 1508 m, which received a water influx of 4 l/s in the interval of 1136-1380 m during pump testing with a drop in level from 8.9 to 55.17 m. The water had a temperature at the wellhead of 48°C, a mineralization of about 20 g/l, a chloride calcium-sodium composition with a slightly elevated bromine content (13.5 mg/l) and iodine (2 mg/l). In terms of total content and the ratio of macrocomponents, it closely resembled Bishkek mineral water and its analogues. The discovery of mineral waters in the deep horizons of the Issyk-Kul resort area significantly expanded its resort and health capabilities, contributing to the transformation of this zone into a resort base.
Chayek Mineral Water was uncovered on the northern outskirts of the Jumgal district in the village of Chayek by a well drilled in 1981 by the Kyrgyz Comprehensive Hydrogeological Expedition. At a depth of 1115 m, water was obtained that flowed with a pressure above the ground surface of 54 m and a flow rate of 14 l/s, having a temperature of 49°C. With a slightly salty taste, it contained 4.2 g/l of dissolved substances (a year later, its mineralization rose to 5.3 g/l); the water composition was sodium chloride with elevated bromine content. In terms of dissolved substances and the ratio of macrocomponents, it is similar to "Mirgorod" and "Minsk mineral" waters as therapeutic table waters. The possibilities for using Chayek mineral water are closely linked to the potential for constructing therapeutic facilities based on it and the opportunities for organizing balneologically sound use of this water, as failure to adhere to certain rules in this regard can cause harm instead of benefit.
In our republic, there is not a single region where mineral waters do not occur, and everywhere their use requires adherence to caution, if not careful attention to their properties and the potential to bring not only healing but sometimes health disturbances.
