No restrictions in season: The Regional Water Supply Company expects regular water supply on the coast

The Regional Water Supply Company, based on currently available data, preparations made and the state of the system, does not expect any restrictions in the water supply of the Montenegrin coast during this year's tourist season.

"Communication with local water utilities is regular and intensive, and the common conclusion is that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure reliable and continuous water supply on the Montenegrin coast," the Regional Water Utility said.

At a meeting with representatives of local water utilities, held before the start of the summer tourist season, all relevant information was exchanged about the state of the system and preparations for the period of increased water consumption.

Local water utilities and the Regional Water Supply Company continuously implement activities aimed at ensuring a stable and orderly water supply during the summer months, when the load on the system is greatest due to the increased number of residents and tourists, they concluded.

The Regional Water Supply Company emphasizes that measures against illegal gravel exploitation and the commissioning of water purification plants are increasing the yield at the "Bolje sestre" water source.

The water purification plant at the "Bolje sestre" water source, for which the Ministry of Finance paid 577.000 euros to the Regional Water Supply Company back in 2023, will be put into operation in the coming days after a long wait.

This money is intended for the purchase and installation of two water purification plants, to mitigate the consequences of the decline in the yield of the "Bolje sestre" spring system, with a capacity of 100 liters per second.

According to documents from the Government's website, the 2023 conclusion instructs the Regional Water Supply Company to continue activities on the implementation of the urgent measure of constructing a temporary dam in the Morača River bed.

Although the project was intended to provide additional quantities of water and combat the problem of water shortage on the Montenegrin coast, the plant waited three years for its official commissioning.

From the Regional Water Supply Company, headed by Krsto Radović (Democrats) told the editorial board last June that although the government provided over half a million euros for the facility three years ago, that investment was not realized "due to various obstructions by the management at the time."

In December 2024, after the replacement of the previous management, the implementation of the Government's conclusions regarding the procurement and installation of water purification plants was urgently initiated.

Last summer, they said that equipment delivery was underway and that they expected the plant to be put into test operation in early July 2025.

This month, they told "Vijesti" that the first phase of the water purification plant has successfully passed the testing and trial operation phase and is fully functional.

The legally prescribed technical acceptance procedure is currently underway, they stated, and they expect it to be successfully completed in the coming days, after which it will be ceremonially opened.

"The role of this plant is to provide additional quantities of water in periods when the existing yield of the source is not sufficient to meet the increased water needs on the Montenegrin coast, especially during the peak tourist season," the Regional Water Supply Company pointed out.

By putting the plant into full operational mode, the safety and reliability of the water supply system is further strengthened, the newspaper reported, ensuring a stable supply to consumers even during peak consumption.

Yield at the level of previous years

The yield of the "Bolje sestre" spring is regularly monitored and is currently at the level of the previous two years, the Regional Water Supply Company told the editorial staff.

According to them, this confirms that the complete cessation of gravel exploitation from the Morača riverbed has stopped the further decline in the yield of the source, although the cessation itself is not sufficient for its complete revitalization.

"The regional water supply company is currently implementing several activities aimed at increasing the available quantities of water. The design of the second phase of the drinking water processing plant with a capacity of 250 l/s is underway, as well as the construction of three embankments in the Morača riverbed. In previous years, the construction of temporary embankments at two locations has yielded positive results, and the latest research indicates that there is a possibility of further increasing the yield," they stated.

The regional water supply system operates in a manner that enables the uninterrupted provision of all contracted quantities of water to local water utilities, they add, as well as additional quantities in line with increased consumption during the tourist season.

"In that sense, when it comes to the Regional Water Supply System, there is no reason for concern for either citizens or the tourism sector, considering that in the previous, hydrologically extremely demanding year, the system successfully provided all the necessary quantities of water for the Montenegrin coast," they said.

In anticipation of the summer season, which results in increased water consumption, local water utilities sometimes request that the minimum quantities of water delivered to their municipalities be increased.

However, as the Regional Water Supply Company responded to "Vijesti", this was not the case this year, but considering the very good start to the tourist season and a significantly higher number of tourists compared to the same period last year, it is expected that maximum levels of water delivery from the regional water supply system will be reached during July and August.

In order to adequately prepare for the period of increased consumption, the Regional Water Supply Company held a regular meeting with representatives of local water supply companies on the Montenegrin coast this year, where they discussed current challenges and measures to ensure a regular and sustainable water supply during the summer months.

"The regional water supply system is ready to welcome a period of increased water demand. Thanks to timely preparations, planned activities and continuous investment in the reliability and functionality of the system, conditions have been created to respond to increased water needs and ensure a stable, orderly and high-quality water supply for citizens and tourists on the Montenegrin coast throughout the summer tourist season," they stated.

The ban on gravel theft has yielded results

One of the main reasons for the decrease in the yield of the “Bolje sestra” water source in recent years has been the illegal exploitation of gravel from the Morača riverbed. The Regional Water Supply Company says that a complete cessation of these illegal activities is crucial for the preservation of the source.

By stopping the theft of gravel, a further decline in the yield of the spring has been prevented, they said, which is an important prerequisite for a stable water supply to the Montenegrin coast.

"A stronger institutional response in the fight against environmental crime is evident. The involvement of all competent institutions and the application of the principle of zero tolerance towards illegal gravel exploitation are particularly encouraging," the state-owned company said.

They note that regular operational meetings dedicated to the fight against environmental crime, as well as the “Kayak” operation, aimed at combating illegal mining in the Morača riverbed, have also contributed. These activities, they believe, send a clear message that the state is resolutely acting against all forms of illegal use of natural resources.

"We expect that these positive effects will be reflected in the preservation of the abundance of the source, as well as the safety and stability of the water supply during the tourist season," they underlined.

When asked about the role of the Regional Water Supply Company in the process of combating illegal gravel exploitation, they assessed that it was extremely large and significant, and that they continuously pointed out the long-term devastation of the Morača riverbed and the consequences that these activities had on the yield of the "Bolje sestre" spring.

"Based on these warnings, numerous inter-institutional activities and increased surveillance of this area were initiated. As a result of the joint action of the competent institutions, for the first time, concrete measures were taken, including the arrest of perpetrators and the seizure of machinery used for illegal exploitation of gravel and sand," they told the editorial office.

The Regional Water Supply Company particularly highlights the efforts of the Deputy Prime Minister Alekse Bečić, on whose initiative activities to resolve this problem have been intensified, as well as the contribution of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Water Administration, the Army of Montenegro and the competent prosecutor's office in the fight against environmental crime.

"The Regional Water Supply Company actively participated in this process and made a significant contribution to the coordination of activities and the exchange of relevant information. In the coming period, the Regional Water Supply Company will continue with activities aimed at protecting the "Bolje sestre" spring, strengthening the water supply system and supporting the competent institutions in further combating environmental crime," the company concluded.