LocationsImproving water services, cutting losses and optimizing governance for Prijedor
September 19, 2024
Through the reconstruction of the water supply network in the Čirkin Polje neighborhood, as part of the Municipal Environmental Governance Project (MEG2), co-financed by Sweden, the Government of Switzerland, the Government of the Czech Republic, and the European Union, and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in BiH, the City of Prijedor will address one of its major water supply issues.
"The strategy of the City of Prijedor is to ensure that all citizens have access to drinking water 24 hours a day. Until now, this has not been the case because some neighborhoods either lacked water or had outdated water systems that needed reconstruction. We are currently implementing several construction and reconstruction projects from various programs, and when it came time to nominate a project for grant funding from MEG2, there was no hesitation. We immediately decided to nominate the project for the Reconstruction of the Water Supply Network in Čirkin Polje, Phases II, III, and IV, which is now being completed through MEG2, while Phase I was previously done through MEG1," said Rajka Zdjelar, Senior Expert Associate for Communal Affairs and Project Coordination in the City of Prijedor, and MEG Infrastructure Project Coordinator.
Rajka Zdjelar
Outdated Network, Significant Losses
She added that while the residents of Čirkin Polje generally had water, the network was outdated, leading to losses of up to 80%, which affected the regular supply.
"From the source, there was a large intake with low delivery, which caused significant losses for the water utility company. This project will reduce losses and ensure regular supply to the citizens, which is our priority. Phase II is still ongoing, with two zones completed and one remaining, but in the end, the citizens are the most satisfied, as there is a big difference in having a regular water supply. Through MEG2, the reconstruction of the water supply network for 355 households will be completed, along with the connection of 30 new households that are in a difficult financial situation and have not had access to water until now. We have also nominated Phase V, in case there is a MEG3, to complete the entire neighborhood."Rajka Zdjelar, Senior Expert Associate for Communal Affairs and Infrastructure Project Coordination in the City of Prijedor
Water – a lifeline for the community
Resident Mile Prokopić says that he has lived in Čirkin Polje since 1992 and has never had municipal water in his home.
“A few houses near us managed to connect their own water, but I and a few other houses had no water at all. Most of us relied on wells, and until we are connected to the water supply, six of us from two families are still using the well I dug myself, drawing water with a hydrophore and pump. The water now being installed is a lifeline for this neighborhood, especially for the street where I live. I can’t wait for this to be done so that we, as residents of this neighborhood and local community, and as citizens of Prijedor, can finally have municipal water too.”
Marinko Radivojac has lived in Čirkin Polje since 1989 and says that aside from supply interruptions due to frequent repairs on network faults, he hasn’t faced major issues. However, he is pleased that the problem will finally be resolved for everyone in the neighborhood.
"The water situation was catastrophic for a while; I got tired of carrying water in canisters and was forced to dig a well that we used until about two or three years ago. At that time, a network was built a few streets down, and the pressure was somewhat satisfactory. We connected to it at our own expense, and now it's decent, but the supply is still quite unstable with slightly lower pressure. Once the new network is finished, I believe it will be better than it is now, and there won’t be constant repairs with ongoing outages."
Mile Prokopić
Marinko Radivojac
Fewer complaints about breakdowns, more time for other issues
Radovan Pušac, a specialist for community affairs from the Regional Office Prijedor, says that residents of Čirkin Polje most often contacted them regarding issues with the old and worn-out water supply network:
"The residents are now satisfied; many households have received upgrades to the water supply network, and even 30 families from the socially vulnerable population have gained access. Everyone hopes for better things to come. A huge problem has been solved in this community, and I hope that citizens will now be able to address all their other issues more easily, and that we, as an office, will be able to assist them even better."
The Executive Director of the Public Utility Company 'Vodovod' Prijedor, Dragan Stamenić, says that the reconstruction of the water supply network in the Čirkin Polje neighborhood will reduce water losses in the system, thereby saving electricity for pumping, as well as decreasing the number of calls from residents for almost daily interventions due to breakdowns. This will ultimately make it easier for them to handle other tasks:
"With this project, we have resolved a large part of the lower Čirkin Polje neighborhood in the first phase, where residents are already satisfied with the pressure. We then addressed the area in Gomjenica, where people faced the same issues, and now we are working on the upper part of the neighborhood in two to three zones. They are at a higher elevation and have encountered greater problems, so they managed in various ways, digging wells and, in some cases, connecting pumps directly to our system, which is prohibited and jeopardized the supply's safety. With the reconstruction of this part of the neighborhood, residents will receive adequate pressure and water supply. More than two-thirds of the work is complete, and once everything is finished, we will proceed with physically connecting users to the new pipes in the manholes, along with new valves and water meters, as well as upgrading the water supply system itself."Dragan Stamenić, Executive Director of the Public Utility Company 'Vodovod' Prijedor
Radovan Pušac
Dragan Stamenić
Upgrading the water supply system
Svetozar Vučkovac, Independent Expert Associate for Strategic Development Planning and Coordinator for the MEG Project in the City of Prijedor, says that this is certainly one of the most important projects in BiH in relation to and working with local communities, as it represents the largest and most complex intervention in working with local communities, and therefore for the City of Prijedor.
"I believe that the MEG project is one of the best things that could happen to local communities in BiH. The effects and contributions that the City of Prijedor has achieved through the MEG Project since 2016, in the first phase and over the past two years in the second phase, are multifaceted and can be viewed from various aspects. Significant grant funding has been secured, which has financed major infrastructure projects, while another aspect includes support for acquiring important technical equipment for both the City Administration and our local enterprise. The project also focuses on working with local water supply and communal companies," he says, emphasizing that although significant grant funding has been secured, the focus is not only on that but also on improving the operations of the local communities themselves:
Svetozar Vučkovac
Functional administration beyond project completion
"The benefits of infrastructure projects funded by grants are significant, but in my opinion, the essence and importance of the project lie in improving administrative processes, as this reflects the administration's work in relation to citizens, businesses, the non-governmental sector, and other stakeholders."
He adds that it is important for the City Administration to continue functioning with the newly established processes even after the project is completed.
"The project will be completed, the grant funding will be utilized, but many established processes will remain and will continue to be self-sustaining. Grant funding stimulates local communities to engage in introducing and establishing these processes, while the realization of infrastructure projects serves as the 'icing on the cake.' MEG has undoubtedly established a reform in the operations of local communities in BiH."
He also emphasizes the significant technical support as one of the key segments of the project:
"The expert team engaged by the MEG project conducts a comprehensive analysis of the local community, which results in certain measures and recommendations that the local community should improve in the coming period. The level of grant funding that a local community can achieve depends on the extent to which these recommendations are adopted and implemented. In recent years, the City of Prijedor has been among the top local communities successfully implementing all these recommendations and securing grant funding."
Through MEG, Vučkovac adds, the level of transparency and openness of the City towards its citizens has increased:
"The level of efficiency and effectiveness has increased, which is evident through our activities in recent years. A significant step forward has also been made in establishing electronic services, with the City of Prijedor leading the way in BiH in this area and serving as a good example for other local communities. We have many e-channels through which citizens can meet their needs. I would mention E-Citizen as something very significant, not only in Prijedor but also in other partner communities, allowing citizens to communicate directly with the City Administration, the mayor, the Assembly, and councilors, enabling them to ask questions and provide feedback, report communal issues, and participate in public discussions."Svetozar Vučkovac, Independent Expert Associate for Strategic Development Planning and Coordinator for the MEG Project in the City of Prijedor
Sharing best practices
Svetozar Vučkovac emphasizes that through MEG2, a mentoring system has been established, where local communities from the first phase mentor new ones. The City of Prijedor has provided significant support to Mrkonjić Grad and Trebinje. Rajka Zdjelar adds that MEG means a lot to the City and its citizens as end users, and highlights the collaboration with other local communities that participated in the project:
"The communication established during the implementation of the project enhances the work of all of us. Through various workshops and activities, MEG has enabled us to connect better with other municipalities and cities, exchanging both good and bad practices, which is also a major benefit. We had many workshops and seminars on various topics, where the good, as well as the bad practices of others that were corrected through the project, were very valuable to us. There are numerous benefits."
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