Tetovo: residents complain again about water supply restrictions
People in the old town say low pressure and unpredictable supply force them to store and buy water; municipality and Shar utility give different explanations.
Residents of Tetovo, especially those in the old part of the city, say they again face an unpredictable water supply each autumn and must daily struggle to cover basic hygiene needs. When water is available they try to store it, and at other times are forced to buy it.
Several people described frequent interruptions and low pressure. One resident said: "These days there are many restrictions on water. We don't know exactly when there is and when there isn't water. There is a problem. From the morning you can tell, during the day, sometimes at night there isn't even a drop of water. During daytime there is no pressure and we have a big problem." Another added: "Every day the same, every night they switch it off, now at what time I don't know. When there is water we work, when there isn't — we don't."
How people cope
Residents described coping by filling jerrycans and containers whenever water flows. Asked how they manage, one answer was: "With jerrycans, by filling if there is water, if there isn't, there isn't. We do not have a basic human right, that is, water. We are not asking for alms, we are asking for water."
The mayor says the municipality is implementing measures according to an existing study prepared during his first mandate by the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Skopje. He stated: "We are implementing investments and interventions in the water supply according to that study. That study was prepared in the first mandate by the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Skopje where all these investments are foreseen from the reconstruction of the supply pipe from Leshnica from the main supply pipe from the filter station in Lisec to the reservoir and the reconstruction of the primary and secondary network and installing water meters."
The public utility for water, Shar, says it has not introduced official restrictions in Tetovo. It reports the current flow from the Shar springs is 270 liters per second, while normal supply requires more than 300 liters per second.
Residents say the uneven supply and low pressure leave many households constantly worried about basic needs, while municipal officials point to long-term infrastructure interventions outlined in the study as the planned remedy.
Photo: press material from the event
