Visit-Montenegro.com : No Tap Water Before the Sunset

Budva – There is an addition to other problems Montenegrin tourist product is facing this season: water shortages are the last, but certainly, not the least worth mentioning. Without a solution to this problem, positioning of Montenegro as an elite tourist destination is unthinkable.

Although the relevant officials, both from the state and at local level, have announced that this season marks an ending to water shortages, first groups of tourists who have arrived to tourism metropolis’ and tourist towns in Boka have been met by dry showers.

This problem has not been so present during the pre-season, as the smaller number of visitors caused no shortages. However, tourists which have started to arrive in huge numbers to Montenegro over the past couple of days have brought bad system of water supplying back to the spotlight once more.

Expansion of building activities, which had not been accompanied by adequate development of the communal infrastructure, as well as long waiting for the regional water supply line which should reach the coast by 2009, have led to the situation where the lack of water would culminate precisely – this summer.

Unfortunately, additional problems are the weaknesses of power supply system, which have left main water distribution facility at Podgor without electricity over the past couple of days. This brought Budva to the verge of collapse.

For several days now, in certain higher districts of the city, all inhabitants living at higher floors have water only in the evenings. All this gave boost to speculation that this summer-as has been the case over the earlier years-Budva might be without enough water.

This has also been confirmed by numerous citizens who have informed Vijesti’s office in Budva on their problems with tap water shortages.

Fears are that the summer of 2007 might repeat, when the water almost ran out completely at one point. Such claims are being rejected by Budva’s Mayor, Rajko Kuljaca.

Kuljaca explains that Budva has enough tap water, also for all of its suburban districts. He explained that current water shortages have been caused by the problems with electricity and delays with certificates on quality of water produced in new desalinization facility in Budva.

“Over these past couple of days, we had situations when we had no electricity for almost half and hour at Podgora well, which had effected water supply system in the whole town.

Only several minutes without electricity is enough for parts of Budva to feel water shortages. As soon as the voltage drops, quantity of water also drops bellow necessary 250 liters per second. It takes several hours to normalize water supplying, which, of course, results with shortages”, Kuljaca has told Vijesti.

Kuljaca held an emergency meeting with representatives of Power and Water Supply Companies, in order to find a solution for such situation.

He repeated that Budva has water and that it has 470 liters per second this season.

“Additionally to 270 liters which we have from the well, we now also have 200 secondary liters produced in desalinization facility. This resolves the issue of tap water supplies. Hotels have normal supplying. We expect that even parts of town with the biggest problem would receive enough water by the end of the week”, Kuljaca said.

Problems with tap water is also apparent in neighboring Municipality of Kotor. Town’s
water supply company has issued a plan for tap water restrictions for certain areas in the
city. As the reason for such move, the statement quotes the lack of water at Vrmac-well.
Southern areas of Tivat’s Municipality are also facing restrictions.

10-hours cuts in water supplying also hit Boka Bay’s settlements of Zelenika, Kumbor, Djenovici, Baosici, Bijela and Kamenari, which are receiving water from local well Opacic.

Restrictions in Herceg Novi

Water Supply Company in Herceg Novi is announcing further restrictions with drinking water supplying at town’s Riviera, as the daily use of water has increased and now stands at one 1,5 cubic meters per inhabitant.

In the period outside of the tourist season, citizens of Heceg Novi, on the average, use 140 liters of water per day. At this point, use of water has increased ten times.

At the beginning of the main season, restrictions have been introduced only at the Riviera itself from 1 pm till 5 pm and from 1 am till 5 am. City of Igalo is not experiencing water supplies rationing, except for its Topla 3 suburb. Citizens living in the higher districts receive water from trucks.

Water supply cuts on the Riviera are being prolonged and will depend on the how much water is used.

Besides restrictions in Herceg Novi itself, this municipality is providing certain amount of water for the needs of Tivat’s municipality. Water Supply Company explains that the problem is not the available quantity of water, but in the lack of water tanks, as existing tanks empty much too quickly.

Herceg Novi receives 300 liters of water per second from Plate. Local well, Opelika provides additional 100 secondary liters of drinking water.

Water Supply Problems Also at Zabljak

Despite this springs’ announcements of officials that no problems were expected with tap water in Zabljak, locals and tourists - who are much more numerous in comparison to last year – are both experiencing daily cuts. For days now, there is no drinking water between 10 pm and 6 am.

One problem came after another. Several mechanical malfunctions at the construction sites, which are counted with hundreds, had been followed by the malfunction of the main pump in the water well. Malfunctions have been resolved, but the reserve pump, which has a much smaller capacity, could not overcome the difference between its’ capabilities and local needs. Same goes for the new pump which had been bought recently. Situation is simple: locals, tourists and, most of all, construction sites use much more water than current collector can provide.

Director of the Communal Company, Milanko Cetkovic says that water supply cuts are inevitable.

“If this extreme draught ends, the situation will stabilize. There are modalities to increase the water quantity and it can be done quite quickly”, Cetkovic stated.

No Water Shortages in Ulcinj

“There were no problems with supplying with drinking water, nor will it happen, if the electricity supplying at our facilities remains stable”, Director of Ulcinj’s Communal Company, Kaplan Mucaj told Vijesti yesterday. He said that his employees have been working “with the full capacity, teams are non-stop out on the field and there is no problem with drinking water, both in the lower and higher areas in town”.

“At this point, Ulcinj receives more than 300 liters per second, which is sufficient for the needs of 100,000 people. If necessary, we shall make operational our reserve pump, which can provide additional 50 liters per second”, Mucaj says.

He estimates the number of tourists, based on the amount of water used, is by 20 percent lower than it has been in the same period last year.

“When it comes to water, we are ready to immediately respond to the needs of much bigger number of visitors”, Mucaj said.

Certificate Has Not Arrived Yet

Earlier doubts that the desalinization facility will not be in use during this summer have been rejected by Mayor Kuljaca, who said that water produced in this facility would be used immediately after the arrival of certificate, confirming that this water is healthy for use.

“Desalinization facility is not yet a part of the system. We expect to receive that certificate on the health validity of this water from Podgorica by Thursday, at the latest. Right after this, we shall make it operational. Water reservoirs are full and we are just waiting for the green light. No one can put this water into the system, before I receive confirmation that the use of this water is safe”, Kuljaca said.

Truck-Owners Enjoy the Situation

The evidence that there is a problem with water supplying in Budva is apparent when one considers the appearance of a large number of private water-transporting truck, which are taking water in the remotest areas of the city.

Majority of these trucks are filled with water by their owners at wells of “Merkur” company, situated in the vicinity of the Bus Station. Almost 30 trucks are loaded with water each day.

(21 July 2008)

(O.P, V. L and S. A.)