KS Government in constant session from Monday due to water supply issues

The Government of Sarajevo Canton will be in constant session from Monday regarding water supply issues and developments at KJKP “Vodovod i kanalizacija”. This was announced by the Prime Minister of KS Elmedin Konaković during today’s visit to the main Bačevo water source, accompanied by cantonal ministers Čedomir Lukić, Mujo Fišo and Jasmin Halebić, as well as the newly appointed acting president of the company’s Assembly Muamer Kosovac.

- We will monitor everything that happens in this company. We have several problematic weeks ahead of us from a hydrological perspective. We are trying to gather all accurate information so that we, as the Government, can influence some processes to improve water supply. We continue to insist on a quality detection of the current state of the water supply network, and that it be done as soon as possible. Funds from the EBRD will soon be operational, every mark should be invested rationally so that we do not face such reductions next year - said Prime Minister Konaković.

He stated that there are sufficient quantities of water at Bačevo, more than 3,000 liters per second are going to the city, but that the reductions during the night hours have been extended further to avoid daytime reductions.

- We also heard proposals here about putting some new wells into operation to improve water supply; there is money for it and the Government would be ready to support them. One of them is to take certain quantities of water from the Hadžići source and direct them for the water supply of Rakovica, and redirect the water currently used from the Bačevo source for supplying this settlement to the additional supply of the city of Sarajevo. This will also be the subject of our consultations. We were also interested in the effects of the regional water supply construction project on Bjelašnica, which we will start this year. The KS Government will do everything in its power to resolve this problem during our mandate. It is complex, we are not satisfied with the dynamics and speed with which it is being resolved, but it is our obligation to continue to insist on it - emphasized Prime Minister Konaković.

Members of the Government, along with the management of VIK and employees of the Bačevo pumping station, today visited the third newly built well in a row at this location, which was put into operation yesterday. Along with two other newly built wells, an additional 150 liters of water per second have been secured in the system.

- Each well has a capacity of 50 liters per second and they are connected to the main pressure transport pipeline leading to the Mojmilo reservoir. Given the water shortage caused by the drying up of sources, these additional quantities of water will certainly contribute to the water supply running smoothly during the day. However, as long as this dry period lasts, night reductions will be present - said the acting executive director for the water supply system at VIK Kenan Đipa. He added that during the Sarajevo Film Festival, the company will strive to supply the central part of the city with water during the night hours, until two or three in the morning.

He also emphasized that VIK has an obligation to solve the water supply problem for all citizens, and that all proposals for solving this problem will be considered in the coming days.