UNMIK
PROVISIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF SELF-GOVERNMENT INSTITUCIONET E PĖRKOHSHMVE VETQEVERISĖSE PRIVREMENE INSTITUCIJE SAMOUPRAVLJANJA
Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning Ministria e Ambientit dhe Planifikimit Hapėsinor Ministarstvo Sredine i Prostornog Planiranja

        

4.

 Water
   

4.1.

 Overview
   

There are four river Basins in Kosovo flowing into 3 distinct catchments areas (Black, Aegean and Adriatic sea). There is virtually not water flowing into Kosovo expect for the source of the Ibar which is 30 km upstream from the boundary.

The major towns in Kosovo are supplied mainly by reservoirs; Gazivoda Reservoir for Mitrovica, Batllava and Grancanka reservoir for Prishtina/Pristina and Radoniq for Djakova/ Dakovica. Other towns rely on surface water and/or groundwater.
   

Figure13: River Basins in Kosovo

 

River Basin

Catchments Zone

Area (Km2)

Average Flow (m3/s)

1."White Drin"

Adriatic (Through Albania)

4400

60

2. “Ibar"

Black Sea (through Danube in Serbia)

4700

33

3."Binicka Morava"

Black Sea (through Danube in Serbia)

1600

7

4. “Lepenc"

Aegean Sea (through Vardar in FYROM)

800

8

Source: Database of Hydro-economy for Kosovo, 1983 Belgrade)

Source: Database of Hydro-economy for Kosovo, 1983 Belgrade
   

4.2.

 Water Quality
   

River water quality in the lowland rivers is very poor owing to the lack of waste-water treatment and waste disposal, while the upstream rivers are mostly of very good quality. Some of  main rivers downstream of larger municipalities and industries are so heavily polluted that the water cannot be used for water supply or irrigation (River Sitnica). Groundwater quality is also affected by pollution from untreated waste water from municipalities and industries.

Forty-four per cent of the total population, and only 8.4% of the rural population, has access to the water distribution system. People in rural areas rely on village water-supply systems, their own wells or on springs and surface water. Rural wells are generally in bad condition and the water quality is poor, owing to organic contamination.

There is no waste-water treatment in Kosovo. Only 28% of homes are connected to a sewage system. In villages and other small settlements, waste water is disposed of in open channels, which contaminate surface and groundwaters, resulting in poor-qualitydrinking water from wells. As a result, there is a high incidence of water-borne diseases.

Industrial waste water is not treated either, and the effluent is discharged directly into the rivers.*(UNECE Raport)

Recent chemical and bacteriological monitoring show that the majorities of rivers in Kosovo are polluted and may not even be used for industrial needs before prior water treatment.  While most rivers at the source are of good quality, this quickly changes as the rivers past towns and industries downstream.

 The “White Drini” is considered, from  class 1-2a-2b; Lepenc and Binicka 1-2a-2b-3; Sitnica 2b-2a-3b; Lab 2a-3b; Ibar 2a-2b-3;* Water Master plan Kosovo, 1983
   

4.3.

 Water Uses
   

The demand  for water in the last century as multiplied 6 time or a rate twice that of the population increase. Half the population is relying on public water system while half is using weels as means of supply. (Water Master plan Kosovo, 1983). The amount of water available is estimated at 1600 m3 /household/year.
   

Table 7: Survey of drinking water companies in Kosovo

 

            NAME OF COMPANIES

CITY

Output capacities according to the data received from SWS during the month of September 2001

Number of citizens supplied by

1

Regional water supply "Batllava"

PRISHTINĖ/PRISTINA

1200 l/s

550 000

2

MPE for Water supply and sewage "Cvileni"

PRIZREN

240-430 l/s

160 000

3

Hydro system "Radoniqi"

GJAKOVA/ŠAKOVICA

450-500 l/s

200 000

4

MPE "Ujėsjellėsi Regjional"

MITROVICĖ

450 l/s

300 000

5

SPE "Ujėsjellėsi"

PEJĖ/PEC

1000-1200 l/s

110 000

6

SPE "Hidro-Higjijena"

FERIZAJ/UROŠEVAC

60-115 l/s

  42 000

7

SPE "Hidroteknika"

GJILAN/GNJILANE

115-174 l/s

 

8

SPE "Pėrparimi"

VUSHTRRI/ VUCITRN

 

 

9

Municipal Enterprise for Public service

PODUJEVE/PODUJEVO

120 l/s

30

10

Municipal Enterprise  "Mirėmbajtja"

ISTOG/ISTOK

365-475 l/s

  30 000

11

SME "Lypeteni"

KAĒANIK/KACANIK

37 l/s

11 000

12

SPE "Vllazėrimi"

LIPJAN/LIPLJANE

70 l/s

15 000

13

Municipal Public Enterprise

KAMENICA

25 l/s

8 000

14

SPE "18 Qershori"

SKENDERAJ/SRBICA

29 l/s

20 000

15

Enterprise Higjeno-Teknike

OBILIQ/OBILIC

39 l/s

7 000

16

PE "Komunalja"

GLLOGOVCI/GLOGOVAC

20-30

10 000

17

PE "Ujėsjellėsi"

DEĒAN/DECANI

 

 

18

MPEH "Rahoveci"

RAHOVEC/ORAHOVAC

 

 

19

SPE "Ujėvara"

KLINA

40 l/s

10 000

20

Municipal Public Enterprise of Housing

DRAGASH/DRAGAŠ

 

 

21

ME "Universal"

VITI/VITINA

20 l/s

7 000

22

SMPE "Komunalja"

SUHAREKE/SUVAREKA

50 l/s

18 000

23

MPE "Hidro-Higjijena"

NOVOBERD/NOVOBRDO

7 l/s

700

24

Municipal Public Service Enterprise

SHTIME/STIMLJE

 

 

25

MPE"Higjijena"

GJILAN/GNJILANE

 

 

26

MPE "Lumi"

MALISHEVĖ/MALISEVO

 

 

27

MPE "Ēabrati" Gjakovė

GJAKOVĖ/ ŠAKOVICA

 

 

28

HME " Lumbardhi"

PRIZREN

 

 

29

ME 28 "Nėntori"

LEPOSAVIQ/LEPOSAVIC

 

 

30

New Municipal Public Enterprise

SHTĖRPCĖ

 

 

31

PSP "Ibėr"

ZUBIN POTOK

 

 

32

Water enterprise"Ibėr"

MITROVICĖ/MITROVICA

 

 

Source: KTA
Note:  There may be changes since the survey was made / Source: Kosovo Trust Agency.
   

6.3.

 Waste Water
   

According to the International Management Group Report (IMG, 2000), only some 20%-30 % of the population is connected to a sewage network. This report also indicates that:

  1. There are not working major Sewage Treatment Plant in Kosovo,
  2. IMG estimates that a population of 707,000 is connected to sewage , - 77% of people living in the main towns , 36% of the population
  3. An estimated 167,000 m3 (or tons) of raw (sanitary) sewage is produced in Kosovo (50,000 in Prishtina/Pristina alone)
  4. Most of sewage network in combined (sanitary and storm sewage)
  5. Receiving waters are under intense strain from organic pollutants
  6. A plant was built in Pristina in 1975 but was abandoned

A waste water treatment plant is being studied for the town of Peja/Pec with financial help from Germany .