Town of Permet will receive water supply 24 hours a day. Although located along the Vjosa river bank, the southern Albanian town of Permet faced serious water supply problems for over three decades due the decaying water supply system. The town’s water supply network has been completely rehabilitated under a state budget investment worth EUR 4 million. Prime Minister Edi Rama inspected the newly constructed water supply system that will benefit some 9700 residents of Permet.
Member of Parliament Mirela Kumbaro said that the water scarcity and shortages hampered development of tourism in the town of Permet, nicknamed as the city of flowers, but the water supply problem has now been ultimately tackled. “Water shortage was a 30-year old wound. The town is located on bank of Vjosa river yet it faced serious water supply problems. This is an Albanian government investment worth EUR 4 million that enhances water availability and provides 24-hour water supply for the town of Permet. It is now the Municipality that should finalize installations for every household. The water scarcity hampered the tourism development in the area,” Kumbaro said.
Përmet is supplied with drinking water from natural water springs in Gurre e Madhe and Leshica. The construction site manager explained that state-of-the-art technology and devices have been installed in the newly constructed water supply system. “SCADA control system enables monitoring and the issuing of process commands from office. The electronic meters and every command is handled through SCADA system. It is equipped in a very modern way. The works included around 40 kilometres of inner and outer network. Every household has been equipped with water supply and distribution equipment and they now receive water for 24 hours a day.”
The Deputy Infrastructure and Energy Minister Artan Shkreli said that a better work management is needed to be carried out by the relevant municipal institutions. “The water quality is very high, with water being piped in from natural water resources, while during the summer months when the water level drops, the water is provided from wells in Atos, comprising a combined system of 24-hour water supply to the town. It remains only for the municipality to be able to manage revenue and not distribute it to support its activities or ineffective employments so that this investment does not degrade over the years, as it has degraded to other areas where no income is reinvested.”
Appreciating the quality work to construct the new water supply system, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that equally quality management to ensure the longevity of the investment remains a challenge. “Important is the fact that we enabled water supply to this whole town after so many years. It should not make the news and should not be a reason for the government to visit this town, but this was the situation we inherited in this regard, and not only here, but also everywhere else where we are making investments to provide potable water because, among other things, we want to develop tourism in this area, or in other areas, when the water availability is minimal. However, this is the moment to tell the citizens of Permet and the citizens of whole Albania that we deliver on our pledges and commitments, although not always as fast as we want to, because it depends on the opportunities. Yet we never forget our pledges and should there be promises we haven’t fulfilled yet, it has happened not because we have forgotten them, but because we need to develop opportunities first. This is all and I would like to appreciate you for the good and quality work you have done and I am now looking forward to seeing also a quality management of this investment.”
