While Slovenia and Croatia maintain excellent water quality, the rest of the Adria Region faces declining standards that demand significant investment in water infrastructure
Despite the region’s abundant water resources, a stark contrast exists. While Slovenia and Croatia boast some of the best tap water in Europe, neighbouring countries are grappling with an increasingly uncertain safety of drinking water. This alarming trend underscores the pressing need for immediate and substantial upgrades to water supply systems.
It’s crucial to understand that improving water quality is not solely about infrastructure investments. The region must also confront policies that put water sources at risk, such as environmental neglect, unregulated construction, and inadequate wastewater management. This situation presents a dual perspective: for some, the region’s water potential is a valuable asset, while for others, it’s a looming crisis, with neglect and underinvestment threatening this critical resource.
Albania
Securing Major Financial Support for Water Infrastructure
Despite the fact that 86.4% of Albanian households have access to running water, either within their home or in shared residential buildings, the country’s water infrastructure still grapples with significant challenges.
The majority of Albania’s drinking water, about 80%, is sourced from underground sources like natural springs, hydrogeological boreholes, and individual wells, with the remaining 20% drawn from surface waters.
In Tirana, home to 32% of the population, the Tirana Water and Sewerage Enterprise ensures that tap water is regularly tested and deemed safe to drink. Two laboratories monitor water safety daily at 53 designated points across the city, with chlorine levels maintained within the recommended 0.3-0.5 mg/l range set by the Institute of Public Health. No objections have been raised by the Ministry of Health regarding water quality.
Two laboratories monitor water safety daily at 53 designated points across Tirana
However, past assessments reveal a different story. In 2011, a Ministry of Health report found contaminated water in several areas, including the tourist cities of Vlora and Saranda, where chlorination was not performed. A total of 10 water supply systems across various municipalities were found to be contaminated.
To address these issues and expand access to clean water, Albania has secured substantial financial support. In 2012, €31 million in loans were secured for reforms, and in 2023, the World Bank provided an additional €85 million. These investments have led to marked improvements in water quality.
The Ministry of Infrastructure has also launched a comprehensive reform aimed at strengthening the financial standing of water supply companies and ensuring significant improvements in water quality by 2030. This includes the installation of new pipelines, which have been identified as a major source of contamination.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Drinking Water Becoming a Luxury
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s abundant water resources are undermined by polluted infrastructure, leaving clean drinking water a scarce commodity and leading to costly bottled water imports.
Despite Bosnia and Herzegovina’s abundant water resources – 262 rivers and watercourses covering nearly a fifth of its territory – the country faces severe water infrastructure challenges. Decades of neglect and failure to enforce regulations protecting water sources have polluted many rivers and lakes with household waste and industrial runoff. As a result, access to clean drinking water has become a luxury for those living in remote mountainous areas untouched by urban development and industry.
Yale’s Environmental Performance Index ranks BIH ’s tap water quality at 79.3 out of 100
Sarajevo, the country’s capital, highlights the severity of the issue. Microbiological tests at the city’s primary water source, Vrelo Bosne, revealed contamination by pathogenic particles, rendering the water undrinkable. This issue extends beyond Sarajevo. Yale’s Environmental Performance Index ranks Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tap water quality at 79.3 out of 100, indicating it is unsafe for consumption, with only North Macedonia faring worse in the region with a score of 70.0.
The country spends significant resources importing drinking water to complete this troubling picture. In 2023, Bosnia and Herzegovina imported over 60.5 million litres of bottled water, costing more than €17.7 million, according to the Indirect Taxation Authority.
Croatia
A Water-Rich Nation with Untapped Potential
Unlike much of Western Europe, where bottled water is the norm, Croatians widely consume tap water due to its cleanliness and safety.
According to Eurostat, Croatia leads the EU in water resources, with an average of 30,000 cubic meters per inhabitant, far surpassing the EU average of 4,000 to 5,000 cubic meters. This abundance ranks Croatia as the second most water-rich country in Europe, just behind Norway, which boasts over 60,000 cubic meters per inhabitant.
Private companies are becoming major producers of bottled water, much of which is exported
Despite this wealth of water, the country has yet to fully capitalise on its potential. Twenty years ago, Croatian authorities proposed collecting fees for water usage as a significant source of state revenue, but this plan remains unfulfilled. Meanwhile, private companies have seized the opportunity, becoming major producers of bottled water, much of which is exported.
According to 2022 data from the Croatian Institute for Public Health (HZJZ), approximately 94% of Croatia’s population is connected to the public water supply, allowing most citizens to safely drink tap water at home.
Montenegro
Pollution Poses a Growing Threat to Water Quality
Montenegro is fortunate to have naturally high-quality water, but the country’s water supplies are increasingly at risk due to pollution, unplanned construction, and inadequate waste and wastewater management.
According to the Montenegrin Institute for Public Health, recent analyses confirm that while water quality remains generally satisfactory, these threats pose significant challenges.
Teams from the Institute for Public Health regularly monitor water systems across the country, conducting tests and responding immediately to any issues.
The country’s water supplies are increasingly at risk due to pollution
In 2023, the Institute tested 28,095 samples of drinking water from urban waterworks and other public facilities, carrying out 14,280 microbiological and 13,815 physical and physiochemical tests.
The results of microbiological testing showed that 3.61% of chlorinated water samples failed to meet hygiene standards, mainly due to elevated levels of bacteria, which is in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Physiochemical tests revealed that 10.57% of samples did not meet regulatory standards, primarily because of low chlorine levels and increased turbidity during periods of heavy rainfall, which falls below the WHO recommendation of 20%.
North Macedonia
Every Tenth Citizen Lacks Access to Safe Drinking Water
North Macedonia, a country rich in springs, lakes, and mountain rivers, has historically enjoyed an abundance of potable water.
From ancient aqueducts to the extension of the water supply network during the Yugoslav era, the country has long ensured that most of its population has access to drinking water. Today, 88.9% of households are connected to the urban water supply system, but this still leaves 11.1% of households without access to chemically and biologically tested drinking water, a worrying statistic by European standards.
North Macedonia also faces one of the highest water loss rates in Europe
Significant regional disparities exist in access to public water. While the Skopje capital region boasts a coverage rate of 91%, areas in the northeast, southwest, and Polog regions see between 25% and 34% of households lacking access to the public water supply. North Macedonia also faces one of the highest water loss rates in Europe, with estimates reaching up to 50%. The country is also notable for its excessive use of clean potable water for non-potable purposes, such as sanitation and agriculture. Despite these challenges, the issue of water segregation remains unresolved, with no clear plans to address it.
In the meantime, rural households are forced to invest in expensive filters and technology to clean their own water supplies.
Slovenia
Enjoy Safe Tap Water Nationwide
Slovenia, though small, is one of Europe’s most water-rich countries, providing high-quality drinking water across almost the entire nation.
With an average annual precipitation of around 1,500 millimetres supplying both surface and underground water, the country’s water system delivers reliable access to potable water, except for a few areas in the east where intensive agriculture poses a risk.
Water quality in Slovenia is carefully monitored, with more than 94% of the population connected to water systems that undergo regular testing at the tap. These systems are included in the state’s rigorous water quality monitoring program, which covers water supplies serving 50 or more people. However, the remaining 6% of the population – those relying on smaller water supplies or personal wells – are generally outside the monitoring system unless the water is used for public facilities or food production.
Despite the country’s strong track record, a small percentage of residents, particularly in Slovenian Carinthia (25%) and the Savinja Statistical Region (15%), lack access to monitored water systems. This regional inequality in access to safe drinking water remains a challenge, with only modest improvements in recent years.
Serbia
Is the Nation Taking Its Water Resources for Granted?
Despite its proximity to Belgrade, over 100,000 people in Serbia have lived without access to clean drinking water for more than two decades.
Unfortunately, the country still seems to take its abundant water resources for granted despite its significant challenges in ensuring access to safe drinking water.
Warnings from institutions like the Dr Milan Jovanović Batut Institute of Public Health and other credible bodies have largely gone unheeded. Research indicates that 40% of Serbia’s population lacks fully hygienic drinking water, with approximately 600,000 people in Vojvodina consuming water contaminated with harmful levels of arsenic. In cases where water is deemed 100% unsafe, inspectors are required to label it as “technical water,” making it unfit for consumption.
Research indicates that 40% of Serbia’s population lacks fully hygienic drinking water
Serbia also struggles with untreated wastewater, often discharged into rivers, polluting smaller watercourses, particularly near industrial centres. The national sewage network covers just over half the population, and large cities like Belgrade, Niš, and Novi Sad lack wastewater treatment facilities, instead disposing of wastewater directly into rivers. Yet, these cities enjoy higher-quality drinking water than the national average due to stringent quality control measures.
Despite these pressing issues, Serbia is relatively well-positioned, though future investments in infrastructure and public education on water conservation will be critical. As water becomes an increasingly scarce resource, its responsible use will be vital to Serbia’s future sustainability.
