Skopje, 21 December 2024 (MIA) - The repair works and modernization of the city’s main water pipeline are in the final stage, said the "Water Supply and Sewerage - Skopje" Public Enterprise on Saturday. The enterprise said the operation is proceeding as planned and is expected to finish within the estimated deadline of less than 15 hours.

The operation kicked off early on Saturday morning with the draining of the main pipeline.

“The operation is proceeding as planned and is expected to finish within the estimated deadline with a total duration of less than 15 hours, most of which was spent on draining and filling the main pipeline. The filling has already begun, and water pressure is expected to stabilize in a few hours,” the enterprise said.

The enterprise said the main goal of the "modernization" is to improve water supply and pressure in the municipalities of Gjorche Petrov and Karposh by repairing 6 segments where significant losses of water have been recorded over the past decades.

Earlier on Saturday, in a press release, the Public Health Institute cautioned the citizens against drinking tap water immediately after the supply is restored. 

“Citizens should not drink the water immediately after the supply is restored since the contact time of the residual chlorine and the water in the greed (the time necessary for the chlorine to begin acting on the microbiome present in the water) in conditions of lower ambient temperatures could take as long as 1 hour,” it said, adding that it would be better for the citizens to continue to drink bottled water during the initial hours until an official notice that the tap water is safe to drink.

Photo: PE Water Supply and Sewerage - Skopje