Water cuts force tourists to leave Montenegro’s Sutomore as hosts battle failing infrastructure
More than 10,000 visitors are in Sutomore but dry taps in Brca and Rutke are forcing many tourists to leave early, residents say.
At the peak of August tourism in Sutomore, Montenegro, residents and private hosts in the Brca, Rutke and the area above the railway station are facing a severe shortage of basic services that is driving visitors to pack up and leave early.
More than 10,000 guests are currently staying across Sutomore, but in several neighbourhoods taps have stood dry for days during hot summer weather, prompting an exodus of angry tourists and heavy criticism from locals who say private accommodation can no longer cope with failing infrastructure.
Longstanding problems with water supply, electricity and waste collection have intensified in Brca, where homeowners and small hoteliers say the situation now threatens livelihoods. New and uncontrolled connections have added strain to ageing pipes and pumping stations, residents add.
Local alarm and short-term coping
Slaviša Vučković, a member of the Brca development association’s board, warned the consequences will not be short-lived and that the area risks losing regular guests for years to come. "Tourists are leaving us for a reason, and that is damage that will be felt in the coming years. I spend the whole night 'hunting' for water and filling canisters and barrels like half a century ago. Back then it was easier because expectations were lower. Imagine someone coming from Subotica or Banja Luka to holiday in Sutomore and finding dry taps. People simply cannot believe this happens in this century. I'm afraid that, if this is not urgently resolved, tourists will become a rarity in our neighbourhood," Vučković said.
Households are being forced to buy large quantities of bottled water and plastic jugs, which residents say has worsened the local waste problem. Some homes have installed hydrophore pumps and private reservoirs at their own expense, and those properties sometimes receive water for a few hours after midnight—but many families have no continuous supply.
In the Rutke district more than 600 houses reportedly lack uninterrupted water service for much of the year; locals say that the combination of an aged network and new unregulated hookups has overloaded pumping stations and made breakdowns more frequent. Residents warn the material damage and reputational loss could reduce tourist numbers in coming seasons unless authorities intervene.
Photo: press material from the event
