LocationsResidents of Slatina near Šamac benefit from new source of safe, high-quality water at 125 meters depth
October 3, 2024
The Director of the Public Utility Company "Water Supply and Sewerage" Šamac, Mihajlo Đurđević, stated that he is confident the lives of the residents of the Gornja Slatina local community near Šamac have improved in both quality and comfort with the construction of the new water supply network, which now provides them with high-quality, health-tested water from a well at a depth of 125 meters.
Mihajlo Đurđević
"Whenever I pass through Slatina, I stop and have a drink of water because it's truly excellent. Comprehensive analyses have been done to prove its quality, but you can tell it’s good water as soon as you take a sip – it’s not heavy like ours in Šamac. I think the people of Slatina don’t even realize what they’ve gained and how valuable it is."Mihajlo Đurđević
Times may change, but the water supply network is here to stay
The Public Utility Company "Water Supply and Sewerage" was one of the subcontractors involved in constructing the 25-kilometer water supply network, which is sourced from a newly built subartesian well with a well house, powered by an electric pump and backed up by a generator in case of power outages. The new water supply network, serving around 400 households—over 240 of which are already connected—was built through the Municipal Environmental Governance Project (MEG2), co-financed by Sweden, the Swiss Government, the Government of the Czech Republic, and the European Union, and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The residents of this area previously used hydro pumps to draw water from a depth of eight to ten meters, but its quality was questionable and incomparable to the water they now receive from a much greater depth, which is far removed from external influences like chemicals used in agriculture. Additionally, due to climate change, water levels in wells are dropping, so now they have not only health-tested water but also a stable supply. On top of that, the pump is equipped with a generator, so when the recent nationwide power outage occurred, the residents of Slatina were the only ones who still had water,” said Director Đurđević, adding that the newly drilled well is not only important for the residents of Slatina but also has potential significance for the future water supply of the entire Šamac municipality:
“We still need to drill a well for the Gaj settlement, and the idea is that in the future, all the water supply systems in the Šamac municipality could be interconnected to ensure a constant water supply. This way, if one well goes offline for any reason, the other four will maintain the network and ensure water for everyone. Everything will come and go, but the water supply network will remain. It doesn't matter whether we pump water from the Slatina well or somewhere else, the network is what lasts, and that’s the greatest asset in all of this."
Water is essential for life, yet we are beginning to run low
Petar Ilišković, President of the Gornja Slatina Local Community Council, emphasizes that the introduction of the water supply system is a significant development for all residents. In addition to households, the settlement also has a school, a community center, a pensioners' association, a cultural center, and a clinic, all of which will benefit from access to city water. He confirms that issues with underground water have intensified recently, and that water supply may likely be in question in the coming years.
Petar Ilišković
“We know that water means life, and we were starting to run out of it. The underground water levels have decreased, and some people can no longer draw water with hydro pumps; they had to dig for new pipes and bury deeper hydro pumps, which is extremely costly. Our municipal chief recognized this issue and engaged his team to seek out programs. Fortunately, they managed to secure funding, and with the participation of the citizens through connection fees, they successfully established this network and drilled a well to the general satisfaction of all of us who have connected. No one knows what the coming years will bring, especially since problems have already arisen, and it remains uncertain whether water levels will drop further, making it impossible for anyone to use hydro pumps, as they can only draw water from a depth of up to eight meters.”Petar Ilišković
No more limescale
Resident Rado Bosić shares that he has connected to the water supply and introduced city water into his home, expressing his complete satisfaction.
“I had my own water, pump, and hydro pump, but this water is of much higher quality, as my wife and I have already discovered. When we make coffee, there’s no more limescale building up in the pot, which we used to have to boil out every five or six days; we haven’t had to do that since January when we started using this water. The pressure is good and consistent, so we can water the flowers, garden, and livestock,” says Rado Bosić. Cvijan Milovanović, whom we also found near the well and pump in the area, is equally satisfied with the city water, which has a faucet that allows residents to drink directly from the source.
Rado Bosić
Cvijan Milovanović
The water supply system is not only beneficial for the people of our settlement, but it also represents an infrastructure project that demonstrates the progress of the local community. It’s very significant to have a water supply in addition to electricity, telephone, cable, and other utilities, as it enhances the overall quality of life. Personally, I’m extremely satisfied; like others, I have a hydro pump, but it was already becoming critical—I had to replace my pump to draw from a greater depth, and for some, the situation was even more critical. So, this has come as a great relief; the water is subjected to chemical and bacteriological testing, making it much safer.”Cvijan Milovanović
Lessons learned for future projects
Jadranko Todorović, coordinator of the MEG project and independent technical advisor in the Local Economic Development Office of the Šamac Municipality, emphasizes that the quality of the water is indisputable. All the infrastructure—25 kilometers of pipelines, pumps, a generator, a well, and a well house—constructed on municipal land will remain after the project to serve current and future residents. The lessons learned will be applied in upcoming projects.
Jadranko Todorović
“Just as we worked on Slatina last year, we are now moving forward with a new project for the neighboring village of Gajevi, following the same approach—specifically a new water source and water supply network, also supported by MEG in this new cycle, which we have successfully entered due to our results. Thanks to the experience gained from the previous project, we will eliminate any issues in this one, and we believe everything will proceed even more efficiently, quickly, and productively. The plan is to complete everything by February of next year at the latest, as required by the MEG project. I believe that we, as the Šamac Municipality, are a good and reliable partner, and we will certainly apply what we have learned to future projects.”Jadranko Todorović
The Mayor of Šamac, Đorđe Milićević, states that the MEG project is one of the most beneficial and concrete initiatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“Especially because this project provides tangible benefits based on the progress you’ve made, rather than relying on lobbying or personal connections. Moreover, MEG requires you to specify exactly how you plan to invest the non-refundable funds if you are among the best municipalities. Clear procedures, continuity in operations, and measurable results are approximately the three main characteristics of this project. When you have that, I am not worried about the results for the Municipality of Šamac,” he says, adding that Šamac is among the few municipalities that have been recognized for demonstrated progress for two consecutive years.
Đorđe Milićević
“We secured a non-refundable grant based on our results, the increased transparency of the municipal administration, and the more transparent and higher-quality work of our public enterprise. In the first year, we made significant progress, so it was even more challenging in this second year to achieve further advancement, but we succeeded. We proposed specific projects that aim to improve the quality of life in the Municipality of Šamac. We benefit from expanding the water supply network, increasing the transparency and seriousness of the work of the ‘Vodovod’ and the municipal administration, and offering the citizens a water supply network under much more favorable financial conditions. All these projects are implemented on a tripartite basis—participation from MEG, the Municipality of Šamac, and modest contributions from citizens through installments.”Đorđe Milićević
Strengthened capacities of the public enterprise "Vodovod i kanalizacija"
Mayor Milićević emphasizes that during the past two years of participating in the MEG project, they have successfully enhanced the capacities of the public enterprise "Vodovod i kanalizacija":
“The company can now respond to public calls and carry out these works, which has saved us financial resources since we no longer need to engage other firms. We implemented both projects at approximately 30% lower costs, doubling the number of users connected to the water supply network in the Municipality of Šamac. Our public enterprise is now operating positively after several years. We will continue in this direction, and in the coming years, we hope to make further progress through this or similar projects, aiming for more than 80% of the municipality to be covered by the water supply network in the next four years.”
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