Skopje, 20 December 2024 (MIA) - Repair works on the main water supply pipeline in Skopje will begin on Saturday morning, the operation is expected to last less than 15 hours, the "Water Supply and Sewerage - Skopje" Public Enterprise said in a press release Friday.

“An operational plan has been drawn up for a precise procedure to ensure a swift and efficient conclusion of the repair works. The main goal 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,” the enterprise said.

The defect can be removed only by closing the main pipeline F-1600, whereas three other defects are to be removed in parallel.

Water supply will be available in Chair, Butel, Radishani, Vizbegovo, Bardovci, Zhelezara, Avtokomanda, Gjorche Petrov, Saraj, Shutka, Topansko Pole, Novoselski Pat, Dame Gruev, Kisela Jabuka, Stopanski Dvor, Volkovo and Orman, while the other residents of Skopje will be without water.

The city’s water supply enterprise urged against stoking fear and panic among the public over the water outage.

“This serious operation is being implemented to prevent defects such as the ones in Tetovo, Bitola, Shtip and Negotino, where the citizens were left without water for days due to unfixed defects.,” it said.

Earlier on Friday, the Public Health Institute issued several recommendations to the general public regarding the announced water outage, recommending that citizens set aside at least four liters of drinking water per person per day.

On Tuesday, Skopje Mayor Danela Arsovska said there will be no need for water deliveries, since the repair would not last more than any other defect in the city.

"I urge all those who, out of political or other reasons, want to stir uncertainty or stoke fear among residents, to refrain from doing this, because I believe that the city services will absolutely do the job within a day," said Arsovska.

Photo: MIA