Gostivar, 7 October 2024 (MIA) -- The results of the Gostivar drinking water testing for manganese done by two different labs on Friday were different, one showing unsafe levels and the other saying it was safe to drink, Gostivar Mayor Valbon Limani told MIA's Gostivar correspondent.

In the meantime, state health inspectors did more tests and the results are pending, he added.

The mayor said people would be held accountable if anyone was found to have made any errors. He said a private lab outsourced by the local public water utility company was conducting tests for the utility, and it had found unsafe levels of manganese in the tap water.

However, samples taken the same day by the Gostivar Center for Public Health showed, according to Limani, that the water was safe to drink.

"The private company's results show [manganese] above the allowable exposure limit, and the Center for Public Health results are below the allowable minimum," the Gostivar mayor said.

He said Skopje Center for Public Health inspectors had taken samples on Saturday for a more detailed analysis and the findings were expected to be released later on Monday.

Limani said he would ask the local water utility to "stop the collaboration" with the lab that did the water testing for them. He also said accountability measures would be taken "against those who contributed to the water ban situation."

According to MIA's Gostivar correspondent, this is the second tap water ban for Gostivar residents in the past two weeks.

The previous drinking water ban was over the presence of fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria in the local water system. mr/