The President of the Municipality of Kotor, Vladimir Jokić, announced that the water supply problems in the area of that municipality are a consequence of long-standing infrastructure limitations and salinization of local springs, saying that the current situation cannot be solved by simply redirecting water from other parts of the system.
In his address to the public, Jokić explained in detail the causes of the problem, the way the water supply system functions, the condition of local springs, and planned investments that should improve water supply.
He said, among other things, that the water supply and irrigation of golf courses in the Luštica area has no impact on the amount of water that the Regional Water Supply System delivers to Kotor, and that losses in the water supply network are not the reason for the lack of drinking water.
As he stated, the problems with salinization of the spring in Kotor have been going on for decades. The city used to be almost entirely supplied by the spring in Tabačina, which was regularly affected by the intrusion of seawater during the summer. An attempt to solve this problem by building the so-called "concrete curtains" in 1984 did not yield the expected results.
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Later, the water sources in Orahovac were included in the system, new reservoirs and pipelines were built, and the Regional Water Supply System was put into operation in 2010, which significantly improved the supply of a large part of the municipality. However, the area from Dobrota to Risan still depended heavily on local water sources.
According to Jokić, the biggest problem arises when the sources in Tabačina and Orahovac become salinized at the same time, because the existing water supply network does not have the capacity to deliver sufficient quantities of water from the Regional Water Supply System to all settlements.
He pointed out that the system was not designed as a single network through which water could be freely redirected to all parts of the municipality, which is why it is not possible to ensure an even supply.
Jokić provided the media with his answers to citizens' questions regarding the water supply problem, which we are reporting in full:
"1. Is it true that the submarine pipeline was damaged or not? Yes, in early November 2019, during a stormy southerly wind, a cruise ship interrupted the Dobrota - Prčanj submarine pipeline. However, this does not have a significant impact on the current supply problems of Risan. This pipeline made it possible to transfer a certain amount of water to Dobrota, which would have improved the supply to a certain extent. Several procedures for determining and compensating for damage were initiated, with the services of eminent professors. A project for a new pipeline was prepared, and it was included in the municipality's investment plan in 2024. Since there were no interested parties at the prices and quantities offered at that time, the project was returned for refinement to the Water Authority, which refined it during 2025, so a tender was announced in 2026, to which two bidders responded. The commission is to select the best offer these days, and the deadline for carrying out the works is 60 days.
2. Is this part of Boka (Risan) systematically connected to the regional water supply system and to what extent? The water supply systems of individual cities are connected to the regional water supply system. Water must be taken directly into the reservoir and only then distributed to consumers. Therefore, the entire water supply system of Kotor, which supplies settlements in the bay, is connected to the regional water supply system via the main reservoir in Škaljari. Currently, due to the insufficient capacity of the old infrastructure of the regional and local water supply system, it is not possible to deliver sufficient quantities of water to all settlements in the bay, specifically for the area from Dobrota to Risan, which is now supplied with saline water. In addition, the Verige - Risan pipeline, which is in poor condition, is a problem, so water from the regional water supply system via Morinje cannot be transported to Risan.
3. Is there a technical possibility to supply part of Boka Bay with water in crisis situations through the system that supplies Herceg Novi? If such a possibility exists, why is it not being used? There is no technical possibility, that is, there is no pipeline from Kamenari to Veriga through which water could be transported to Kotor. It should be emphasized that it is questionable whether Herceg Novi has a significant amount of water available as a surplus during the summer, so that a certain amount of water can be transported to Kotor, without their consumers being deprived, otherwise why would a pipeline through Tivat to Lepetan be built, to transport water from the regional water supply system to Herceg Novi. There is also the problem of regular overhaul of the Plat hydroelectric power plant, which is carried out in the summer, when the transport of water to Herceg Novi is completely interrupted.
5. If it does not exist, why is it not planned and is there a project to build one in the future?
When making plans to solve such important problems, care is taken to ensure that the solution is reliable. If Herceg Novi does not have enough water for its needs at certain times during the summer, there is no point in developing the idea further.
6. Are there priorities in water supply during restrictions and according to what criteria? Before the regional water supply system was put into operation in 2010, when water supply restrictions were pronounced in Kotor in the summer, the Old Town was exempt from the restrictions. Today, there is no single location that is a priority, but water is delivered according to technical capabilities. The water supply system of Kotor is built in such a way that during the summer months, when consumption is many times higher, the city is supplied from two directions simultaneously. The areas of Grbalj, Škaljari, Stari Grad, Mula, Prčanja, Stoliv, Kostanjica, Strpa and Morinj are mostly supplied with water from the Regional Water Supply System, while Dobrota, Orahovac, Perast, Risan and other settlements in this part of the municipality are supplied from local sources. Due to the way the water supply system is built, it is not possible to alternately redirect water from the Regional Water Supply System to settlements that are currently supplied from local sources, and at the same time transfer Grbalj, Škaljare, Prčanj, Stoliv, Morinj and Kostanjica to local sources. This is not a matter of deciding that one part of the city has drinking water and another does not, but rather a limitation of the existing water supply infrastructure. The only possibility for a completely even distribution of the existing quantities would be to introduce restrictions on the territory of the entire municipality. In that case, all parts of the city would have water for only four to six hours a day, while the rest of the day would be without water. It has been estimated that such a regime would further jeopardize the functioning of the economy, health institutions and the tourist season. Even if the water that now goes to Prčanj, Stoliv, Morinj and Kostanjica were redirected to Dobrota, Orahovac and Risan, these quantities would only be sufficient for part of Dobrota, possibly as far as Kamp. At the same time, Prčanj, Stoliv, Morinj and Kostanjica would be left without water, even technical water, while the settlements after Kamp would still not be able to be supplied.
To put it simply, introducing restrictions to distribute the existing water quantities would mean that we would have drinking water for 2/3 hours in the morning and the same amount during some period of the night. The rest of the time, the taps would be dry.
7. How is it possible that in some areas lawns are being watered and swimming pools are being filled, while other citizens go without the basic amount of water for life for hours or days? There are certainly “abuses” in various locations. We even had a situation where a fellow citizen connected a hose to a cistern in the settlement and watered the garden and washed the sidewalks.
8. Is the existing water supply network designed for today's population, apartments, hotels and tourists, or has it long since exceeded its capacity? There are still parts of the distribution network built 50 or more years ago, so it is possible that some parts of the network may not be sufficient, but in the past twenty years or so the water supply system has been renovated and adapted to needs. All new water supply system facilities that are being built have sufficient capacity for future facilities that are planned in spatial plans.
9. Does the irrigation of the golf course in Luštica affect the water supply of Kotor? No. The water supply and irrigation of the golf course in the Luštica area has no impact on the amount of water that the Regional Water Supply Company delivers to Kotor. Kotor currently receives the maximum amounts that, under existing technical conditions, can be delivered and distributed. Therefore, the interruption of the irrigation of the golf course would not mean that Kotor could receive additional amounts of water, nor are these amounts of water sufficient for the missing needs of Kotor.
10. Are losses in the water supply network the cause of the current water shortage? Losses, or non-revenue water in the Kotor system, amount to approximately 65 percent and represent a serious problem that must be addressed, but they are not the reason for the shortage of drinking water. This percentage does not mean that 65 percent of the water leaks out of the pipes. It includes real losses due to malfunctions and dilapidated infrastructure, but also so-called apparent or commercial losses, which make up the vast majority of these losses. This is water that has been delivered to consumers but not charged for due to illegal connections. Reducing losses must be one of the priorities of the Water Supply Authority, but it alone would not solve the current problem of salinization of local springs and insufficient quantities of drinking water during peak summer consumption.
11. Is the water currently supplied technically correct and why are there images of yellow water from taps? Water from saline local springs is not intended for drinking and food preparation, due to its increased chloride content, but it can be used as technical water, in accordance with the recommendations of the competent authorities. The appearance of yellow or brown water is most often recorded in older buildings that have galvanized or corroded internal installations. Water with increased salinity can accelerate the release of deposits and rust from such pipes, which is why the water on the tap may have a changed color. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that the appearance of the water on an individual tap does not indicate the condition of the water at the source itself or in the main distribution network, but rather the problem may arise in the installations of the building or house," the statement states.
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