Montenegro’s Old Royal Capital of Cetinje is known for particularly heavy rain, with substantial precipitation during spring and autumn. It is one of the rainiest towns in Europe with about 4,000 mm of annual rainfall (it can be even higher in surrounding areas). However, because of the karst topography and underlying limestone geology, Cetinje and its surrounding areas do not have surface water flows and water sources are sparse. The city’s existing water supply system is mainly characterised by outdated equipment resulting in wasteful leakages of already scarce water resources. In addition, there are numerous illegal connections and collection rates for both domestic and industrial consumers are poor.
The Government of Montenegro has initiated the rehabilitation of the water supply system in Cetinje to resolve problems in the most vulnerable areas of the system and provide support for the main investment priorities. Upgrading the system and creating the preconditions for quality system monitoring and management will ultimately enable the provision of sufficient quantities of quality drinking water based on the principles of economic sustainability and energy efficiency within the water supply systems.
WBIF has allocated a technical assistance grant for the preparation of technical documentation and designs for the reconstruction of the water supply system, including a review of the existing feasibility study and complimentary analyses to confirm or adjust the overall investment programme.
