Every household in the Municipality of Malesi e Madhe, Shkodra district, will be provided 24-hour supply with water from the tap by end of November, when construction of a new water supply network is scheduled to complete. The water supply shortages problems in this municipality is being tackled after several decades, when local residents received water supply for two to five hours a day due to the degraded network built in the’70s. “An investment that will bring about a radical change to the water supply situation in the area,” Prime Minister Edi Rama said as he inspected the ongoing construction work together with the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku.
Providing details over the investment, the Infrastructure and Energy Minister noted that “investment in building a new water supply network was a must, because no such investments were implemented in the area since 1974. Around 75% of households in the area received water supply for about five hours a day during winter, while the supplying time was reduced to only one or two hours a day during summer. In the meantime, about 25% of local residents were supplied for only one hour a day during winter and no supplies at all for days during summer season. Some 13,505 residents will receive 150 litres of water supply per capita and 24-hour supply thanks to this investment worth of $3.5 million.”
Just like in many other areas across Albania, where investments are underway to upgrade and modernize water supply systems, here, too, the water supply network is being completely renewed, being replaced by a modern distribution network, which is designed to meet the needs of residents, put an end to the losses in water distribution network and improve local finances. According to the project manager, the construction work is slated to complete within November and it includes reconstruction of two water reservoirs and construction of a new one, laying water supply pipeline along 90 kilometres and 100% installation of water meters. An investment is also underway in the water supply system in Bajze that is designed to provide 24-hour supply.
The demographic changes and movements after the ’90s were not accompanied with any investment in building and upgrading the water supply systems, but current investments in some 55 urban centres are bringing about radical changes. “Prior to the’90s, for the sake of truth, the water consumption was much lower than today. The number of new houses was also much lower, while private businesses were inexistent before the’90s. Let alone these all new spaces that are being created to host investments in tourism and agro-processing industry. The fact that the huge demographic movement was not associated with no plans of whatsoever, but, quite the opposite, such movement was left uncontrolled, it is an inherited problem over the years for people who should realize we couldn’t tackle neither in the first or second year of our term in office, when we had to settle and huge mountain of debts and arrears created by the previous government. The radical transformation that is taking place in 55 urban centres, based on the plan I have seen for myself, 24-hour water supply will be ensured within next year in all these centres. Water supply situation has significantly improved in Tirana too, although the city’s population has grown exponentially and the situation will keep further improving with the ongoing investments. It is an essential change.”
According to the Water Supply Enterprise officials, the losses in water distribution network to date were estimated at around 70 to 80%, but with the supply networks being renewed, the losses will be technical ones and the water supply enterprises will become feasible.
