Locations with water restrictions this summer
Due to extremely high temperatures and low rainfall over the past month, lakes, springs and rivers have dried up throughout Serbia, leaving residents without water for drinking and basic needs, as well as for agriculture and animal husbandry. In the Republic, 687 million m³ are collected per year through communal water systems. The total water losses are about 35% of the captured water (242 million m³ – 7.6 m³/s), which is approximately the volume of Zlatar lake.
Most often, irrational consumption of water by the population is cited as the reason for the restrictions, but the epidemic scale of the problem indicates that it is more about systemic failures and not the irresponsibility of citizens. One of the key causes is climate change, but there is also the accumulated pollution in Serbia, irrational use of water resources in the economy and outdated infrastructure, due to which we have huge losses in the water supply systems (up to 50 percent in some cities and municipalities). All this is not a fate that we should put up with, but the problems must be solved as a matter of priority.
SJENICA/PEŠTER
Currently, the most dramatic situation is in the municipality of Sjenica , which has declared a state of emergency due to water shortages. Locals in Pešter villages have been without drinking water for more than 48 hours, the streams, wells and puddles from which livestock are fed have dried up. Livestock is threatened, and the first cases of animal deaths have been recorded. Locals emphasize that they do not have water even for human needs. More than twenty villages are threatened, and the local self-government has only one cistern at its disposal, which can carry nine cubic meters of water and can only go around two to three villages, so the cistern is waiting and 15 days each. The most threatened villages are: Karajukića wells, Bare, Vapa and villages near Uvac.
MAJDANPEK AND DEBELI LUG
About 10,000 citizens of Majdanpek and Debelig Lug were left without water after the public company Vodovod temporarily suspended the supply of drinking water. Majdanpek supplies water from Veliki Pek, in the place of Pustinjac, near the “Ziđin” mine. Due to the large number of days without rain, this water intake is below the level required for the normal functioning of water supply systems and devices. In addition to appealing to the population to consume water rationally, Vodovod also announced restrictions during which the water supply will be with drinking water by tankers, according to the schedule that will be published. Local activists point out that while there is a shortage of water for water supply, “ZiĐin” works smoothly even though it uses water in production processes.
GORNJI MILANOVAC/ČAČAK
In the middle of July, the water level of the Rzav River was in great decline, which led to the fact that many settlements were left without water. Five municipalities and cities are fed from this river – Arilje, Požega, Čačak, Gornji Milanovac and Lucani, which have announced the possibility of introducing restrictions in order to save their reservoirs from being completely emptied. Measures prohibiting the dedicated use of water are already in force in Čačak . In Gornji Milanovac, a state of emergency has been declared and scheduled water shut-offs are in effect, and residents are supplied from cisterns for days. The problem of lack of water and water supply in certain parts of this municipality exists and escalates every summer. Residents of the village of Brusnica near Gornji Milanovac say that in the last 10 days they only had water twice for a few hours. They manage by buying bottled water, pouring water into balloons and kegs when a tanker arrives, heating water for bathing…
VRNJAC SPA
In the villages in the vicinity of Vrnjačka Banja , for 1,200 rural households, scheduled water shut-offs began in groups for 6 hours a day. The villages of Podunavci and Gračac are the most threatened. Due to the excessive use of water in the 4 largest villages near Vrnjačka Banja, it is forbidden to water gardens, lawns and fill swimming pools. Water is used exclusively for drinking and sanitary purposes, and JP Vrući izvor has announced increased control of communal inspections, non-purposeful use of drinking water, with the threat of a fine of RSD 75,000. The fact is that Vrnjačka Banja urbanized suddenly, with the construction of a large number of new tourist facilities, without a plan for the accompanying infrastructure, such as the expansion of water supply capacity, and now everyone is paying that price.
POPLAR
In Topola they are Almost all smaller rivers and streams have dried up, as well as the “Jarmenovačka River” water system, from which most of the municipality is supplied with water. Because of this, about 400 households from seven villages have had problems with water supply for ten days. It is the most difficult in the villages of Žabare and Božurnja because the river Jasenica completely dried up, all living things in the river died, and the locals do not remember this kind of drought and ecological disaster. They are forced to get water from a private well and wait in line for several hours, and then store the water in buckets and buckets. In the deep wells, there are still reserves for about 60 days.
MLADENOVAC
The headquarters for emergency situations of the municipality of Mladenovac appealed to the citizens to use water rationally, because there are currently short-term water shortages due to long-term high temperatures. Cisterns are provided for such situations, and the municipal militia and the inspectorate strengthen control and punishment of citizens who use water irrationally. The residents of Mladenovac have been waiting for decades for the completion of the construction of the main water supply system Makiš, which would largely solve the problem of water supply for them, as well as for the residents of Grocka.
BELGRADE/BARAJEVO
PUK “Belgrade Water Supply and Sewerage” is facing a series of problems during the extreme heat wave. In the entire distribution system, water consumption has increased, which is why the system is overstretched, electrical equipment and devices are overheating, and a special problem is the distribution of water to the most distant consumers of the outskirts of the city. Due to the drop in voltage and the cessation of operation of the “Lipovica” pumping station, the water supply to the residents of the municipality of Barajevo was interrupted. Certain parts of Barajeve did not have water for seven days.
The Belgrade Water Supply, in cooperation with the City Sanitation Department, sent tanker trucks with drinking water for the most essential needs to all locations where there are problems with water supply: in addition to Barajevo, these are also Guncati, Lisović, Beljina, Arnajevo, Rožanci, Srednji kraj and Veliki Borak , and they will be installed until the system is stabilized. Due to the perennial problem with water supply, Barajevo is preparing for protests.
SMEDEREVSKA PALANKA
During the summer months, in Smederevska Palanka , as soon as the temperature starts to rise, the water shuts off at night (from one to six in the morning). The reason was worn out pipes on the 60-year-old water supply network. The water in Palanačka Vodovod comes from the water factory in the village of Trnovča and from three sources on the outskirts of the city: Rudine, Buline vode and Singer. However, the water does not reach the users, because the stronger pressure causes the old asbestos pipes to burst. The public utility company “Vodovod” has been blocked for four years, and due to irregular water supply, citizens and the economy owe this company more than 200 million dinars.
NIS
From PUK Naisus Niš, they appealed to the citizens to save water, because due to the tropical heat, water distribution has increased by more than 50 percent compared to the regular situation. The consumption is especially high in the evening hours, and in order to maintain the stability of the system, it is currently most important to return it to normal.
LEBANESE
In the municipality of Lebane, water restrictions have been announced for the duration of 6 hours a day, unless the misuse of drinking water is reduced in the coming days. The waterworks appeal that due to reckless use of water for watering lawns, gardens, concrete, filling swimming pools and washing cars, they are unable to meet the needs of users, especially in higher parts of the city. Due to the long dry period, the flow of water from the Shumanka River to the water body in Grgurovec has weakened, so the facility in Ždeglov is currently being used at full capacity.
ROPE
In the Užice region, drinking water is supplied from the reservoir in Vrutci. There is still enough water, but the problem is distribution, because the pipelines are sized for a certain number of consumers, but currently four or five times more is being used and the system cannot deliver that amount of water. The village of Ljubiš in Zlatiborski also remained without water district
VILLAGE DEBRC/VLADIMIROVCI
Residents of the village of Debrc in the municipality of Vladimirovci have their water turned off every other day for 12 or more hours, and after it arrives, it takes an additional 3-4 hours for the water to normalize and lose its color, smell and taste. In the waterworks, they always give the same reason, changing the pump.
TAVANKUT / SUBOTICA
15 kilometers from Subotica, the inhabitants of the Tavankut settlement were left without drinking water. There is no water supply network in this village, the construction of which is planned for the end of the year. Until then, citizens were supplied with water from their wells, but they often dry up due to high temperatures and increased consumption. Locals say that only those who have the money to drill deeper wells and invest in more expensive pumps have water. Those who have no money, no water, and are forced to take out loans in order to get a pump that will provide them with at least drinking water.
NOVI SAD
The residents of Novi Sad are also struggling with the restrictions. Public utility company “Vodovod i Kanalizacija” from this city announced several days ago works on the restoration of damages in certain parts of Novi Sad, as well as in the settlements of Kać, Veternik, Sremski Karlovci, and Rumenka. They emphasize that there is a possibility of extending and expanding the blockage of the water supply network.
Last year, 23 local governments had problems with water supply and restrictions. This summer, the situation is even more dramatic. The Right to Water initiative invites you to let us know if there is a problem with water supply in your area so that we can collect data for the year 2024.