Four water companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro have received equipment that will make easier to find leakages in the water supply network and enable the reduction of physical water losses, with the aim of improving water efficiency and providing quality water supply services. Equipment worth EUR 48,000 is provided by the European Union within the cross-border project Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro “Action to increase energy and water efficiency of water supply services”.
Water supply systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro face the problem of large water losses on a daily basis, which results in a decline in the overall efficiency of the water supply system. They can have significant impacts such as economic, social, technical and environmental. Although it is almost impossible to completely eliminate water losses, they can be reduced to an acceptable level by adequate activities.
The donation was handed over on 21 September 2021 in Herceg Novi, Kotor, Visoko and Foča Ustikolina. On that occasion, Olivera Doklestić, director of “Vodovod i kanalizacija” Herceg Novi, stated: “The priority goal of managing the Herceg Novi water supply system is based on the areas of the necessary need to reduce physical and technical water losses. The allocated equipment will greatly contribute to the realization of the same, and by strengthening the activities for leakages detection and education of unit for leakages detection on water supply infrastructure on new methods and techniques in a very difficult, painstaking work to reduce water losses in its system.
The director of the Public Utility Company “Ušće” Foča Ustikolina, Admir Borović, pointed out that these project activities, but also the projects as a whole, will help the company in the constant fight against water losses. Small water companies often lack the capacity in the form of equipment and employees who are trained to use it. “In this regard, we thank the European Union for supporting the project partners with whom we have established excellent cooperation,” concluded Borovic.
With the slogan “Every drop and kilowatt is important”, the European Union has supported the implementation of the project “Actions to increase energy and water efficiency of water supply services” in order to achieve long-term resource efficiency in the water supply sector. The implementation of joint actions seeks to strengthen sustainable development in the cross-border area. The project is implemented by the Center for Energy, Environment and Resources – CENER 21 from Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and the Montenegrin Center for Energy Efficiency from Podgorica (Montenegro). The implementation of the project began on December 1, 2019 and will last for 24 months. With a total project budget over 305,000 euros, 70 municipalities in the cross-border area of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro are covered.
Source: IPA II CBC Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro programme website