site.btaTap Water in Gostivar, North Macedonia, Still Unsafe to Drink Despite Improved Quality

Tap water in the city of Gostivar, Republic of North Macedonia, is now safe for personal hygiene but not for drinking or cooking, North Macedonia's Minister of Internal Affairs and Chair of the General Crisis Management Centre, Pance Toskovski, reported at a press conference on Monday.

An epidemic and a state of emergency were declared in Gostivar after thousands of residents sought medical assistance due to stomach problems. Authorities suspect the outbreak was caused by contamination of the city's water supply with coliform bacteria.

Following hyperchlorination of the city's water supply system, laboratory tests now show that the level of contaminants has been significantly reduced. The General Crisis Management Centre has not specified when the water will be safe to drink. Bottled water will continue to be supplied to the city.

The country's media have raised questions about the project to modernize Gostivar's water supply system, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the German Development Bank.

Three managers of the public utility company Komunalec, who are in custody on suspicion that their actions led to the contamination of the city's water supply, have said that the project is "98% complete", but that they have been waiting for two years for approval from the State to construct an additional 600 metres of pipeline, which would fully connect the system, local media reported.

Investigators believe the contamination may have been caused by three illegally installed pumps that diverted water from the Vardar River into the city's water supply system in an attempt to increase water pressure.