Study of water supply of Bar Municipality

THE FUTURE OF WATER SUPPLY OF BAR MUNICIPALITY IN MONTENEGRO

 

The study of water supply of Bar Municipality prepared by Energoprojekt Hidroinzenjering JSC Beograd and E3 LLC Podgorica was aimed at representing a strategic framework of the prospective models of water supply system in the area of Bar Municipality through visualisation of the existing condition, as well as potentials, advantages and flaws in the proposed individual solutions from both technical and economic perspective for the purpose of assessment of prospective investments and finding long-term solution for water supply of the areas of economic significance for the development of municipality.

Apart from development of the existing water supply system, the accent in the Study fell on solving the water supply problem in the areas marked as areas of particular significance and interest and can be divided on three spatial and functional units:

  • Coastal areas of Bar (existing water supply system expanded to cadastral municipalities Kunje, Dobre vode and Pecurice)
  • Shore of Lake Skadar – characterised as an up-and-coming area in terms of tourism potential
  • Rural area

In the process of preparation of the study, developers thoroughly acquainted themselves with the problems of the above area, as well as with the aspects of prospective development of Bar Municipality which should be accompanied by suitable development of water supply infrastructure, possibilities, limitations, as well as the flaws of the existing water supply system, existing and potential water sources and spatial and altitude distribution of settlements which could be unified in subsystems. As a result of this, technical solutions were proposed as the guidelines for further design phases.

Central area of Bar Municipality – area covered with the existing water supply system

Key identified flaws in the system: deterioration of the system, physical losses in the system, reduced capacity of tank space, unfavourable spatial arrangement of tanks in the system.

During the course of preparation of the study, by gathering data, visiting the locations, communicating with the technical team of ViK Bar, the conclusions were made and provided in the form of proposals for expansion and reconstruction of the existing water supply system of the central area of Bar Municipality: use of the potentials of the existing tanks, construction of new tanks: Kurilo 1 and Kurilo 2, connecting of tanks Kurilo 1 and Zaljevo 1; construction of transit water supply pipeline for  Stari Bar-Kurilo-Marovici-Sustas tanks; construction of new pipeline that would connect water intake structure Kajnak and tank Kurilo 1, as a replacement for the existing deteriorated pipeline; construction of distributive network in Zaljevo – Mirovica settlement; Construction of tank Tunel 2; construction of tank Tunel 3; Use of the existing branch Zaljevo for filling of tank Zaljevo 1 and Zaljevo 2.

Proposed construction of additional tanks would solve the issue of water scarcity, i.e. enable hourly balancing of consumption, which would eliminate the need to ensure maximum hourly consumption by pumping from the water sources and it would enable cancellation of individual hydrophore stations (only the ones required for smaller groups of buildings at higher elevations would remain). Construction of new tanks would enable more favourable division of water supply system in water supply zones and reduction of pressure in distributive network, which will lead to the reduction of losses in the system.

The study examines the possibility of water supply from Podgorska vrela water source which is currently not being used for water supply of Bar and proposes technical solution that includes the route, diameter and facilities that would distribute water in the future to the central area of Bar.

Coastal area of Bar – Cadastral Municipalities Dobre Vode, Pecurice, Kunje

Key identified flaw: there is no water supply system.

Coastal area of Bar – In terms of water supply, Cadastral Municipalities Dobre Vode, Pecurice, Kunje are characterized by the absence of natural water sources and, on the other hand, the area has exceptional potential for the development of tourism.

The analysis of water balance for the above area showed that the planned water quantity which could be provided from the regional system at the existing tie-in points of Dubrava and Utjeha, as well as at planned Pecurice and Belvedere towards the belonging tanks, fulfils the water requirements in the summer mode of consumption.

Proposed solution to the problem of water supply of this area is based on the following activities: activation of the existing tie-ins to the southern branch of the regional system, Dubrava and Utjeha; construction of new tie-ins for Perucice and Belvedere; tanks for water supply zone I of Dobre Vode, Busat and Belvedere, tanks for a higher zone of settlement Pecurice; main supply pipelines from each tie-in to the regional system to the belonging tank and water supply zone; distributive system in the settlement; further development of the system towards higher zones through construction of pumping stations and tanks for the higher zones.

Shore of Lake Skadar

The shore of Lake Skadar, from Virpazar to Ostros and village Ckla has been recognized as a zone of particular interest for the development of tourism economy. There are several settlements in this area without a permanent water supply solution of good quality.

Water supply of the shore of Lake Skadar is very demanding due to the reasons of existence of vast differences in altitudes, following regional road R15. Another unfavourable circumstance is high dispersion of settlements (great distance between a small number of houses). Villages stretch from the lake to the altitudes from 5 to 600 masl.

An exception to this is the water supply in Virpazar from Virpazar system – well system in Orahovo Polje, whereas village water supply systems operate in the settlements of Komarno and Boboviste.

An analysis of water balance was made for the above area, obtained based on the assessment of the number of inhabitants and tourists (in accordance with the current planning documentation), adopted standards of consumption, unevenness coefficient, loss assessment.

The study covered two potential water supply concepts:

  • Establishment of centralised lake water supply system in the corridor of road R-15 from Virpazar to Cikla settlement;
  • Separate water supply of individual or smaller groups of settlement by abstraction of water from the lake and its local purification for each settlement.

The area is characterised by non-existence of natural sources of potable water and therefore the possible water supply solutions would be Podgorska vrela water source (already in use for Budva and Cetinje system), Radusko oko – potential water source which is to be tested, a branch of the regional system of Montenegrin coastline and, on the other side, untested springs on the shoreline of Lake Skadar, abstraction and purification of lake water.

As a proposed solution of water supply of this area, after prepared technical and economic analysis, the following has been conceptualised based on the water supply from the regional system  (maximum daily requirements, whereas hourly unevenness would be covered by belonging tanks for each area): connection to the regional system; construction of major pipeline from the Southern branch of the regional pipeline to settlements Ckla and Arbnez; construction of tanks Sestani and Gornja Briska on the major pipeline; construction of pumping stations on the major pipeline: Lake Skadar, Seoce and Livari; construction of main supply pipelines from the major pipeline to the settlements; construction of water supply facilities and distribution system in each settlement.

Rural settlements

The solution proposed in this study includes settlements of Skadar area which in their existing condition do not have resolved water supply issue, as well as improvement of water supply of the settlements with local water supply systems, their connection to centralised system (Godinje, Seoce, Krnjice, Karanikici, Dedici, Gruza, Lukici, Dracevica, Djuravci, Donji Murici, Besa, Livari, Gornja Briska, Donja Briska, Tejane, Kostanjica, Martici, Boboviste, Mali Ostros, Veliki Ostros, Arbnez and Ckla).

Considering the possibility of water supply of Lake Skadar area from Podgorska vrela, it was concluded that the settlements in the area from Otovcici to Sotonici could be fed from Podgorska vrela water source.

Virpazar has its own water supply system. Since the existing system can withstand the increase in consumption, which inevitably accompanies the planned development of tourism in this part of Bar Municipality, of water supply from Orahovo polje of Virpazar subsystem, the possibility of water supply of Limljani settlement through construction of pipeline with length of approximately 7 km was also considered.

Proposed individual water supply of the shoreline with domestic water from Lake Skadar, either directly or through vertical boreholes, provides for water abstraction for individual settlements along the shore of the lake or from karst springs (springs below water surfaces) in the lake and then its pumping with well pumps to the proposed tanks wherefrom it would be gravity discharged to the settlements

Since this area is characterised by a high level of dispersion and extreme variations of altitude, this water supply method is also proposed for the areas of Lake Skadar which could be connected to the centralised system in the final phase of its construction. Until that time, they would exist as independent systems. The basis for development of this type of water supply system is the example of water supply of settlement Boboviste. Although the water is not potable, the inhabitants of the settlement solved their problems using it.