Alternative Kakanj – helping local communities with protecting their water sources

NGO “Alternative Kakanj”, an ETNAR sub-grantee, started the project Let’s be responsible in water management in order to improve protection of water springs which are used, or will be used, for public water supply. Namely, around 37% of people in Kakanj municipality get their water from individual, group or local water supply systems which are not under jurisdiction of public water management companies.

At first, they planned to work on the decision on protection of water sources to which rural networks are connected. However, analysis of protection measures and the situation in the field made them realize that the priority was to create a regulation book on management of rural water supply networks with a recommendation to include protection measures that will be in accordance with relevant laws and other acts.

The decision on protection of water supply networks that is in accordance with relevant laws (cantonal and federal) would only mean issuing an order to local communities (water supply beneficiaries) to implement protection measures in accordance with those laws. The project went a step further and created the regulations book on use, maintenance and management for Lipnica water supply network. This document outlines protection measures for water sources and is applicable to other water supply networks (in Kakanj, there are 48 local water supply networks).

In addition, since rural water supply networks are not legalized and most of them do not even have adequate documentation to initiate the legalization procedure, it was concluded that it was necessary to create regulations book on use, management and protection of rural water supply systems. This document is required by law and is submitted together with the construction permit request. However, most of these local water supply networks were constructed without complying with legal requirements. Therefore, the regulations book is one of the compulsory documents in the legalization process.

Therefore, the project assisted in creating and adopting the regulations book on use, maintenance and management of a rural water supply network. They provided support to public debates regarding adopting the regulations book by the beneficiaries of Lipnica water supply network. This document contains protection measures for water sources as well as other protection measures and regular technical and sanitary controls of water quality.

The regulation book for Lipnica water supply network was adopted at the gathering of representatives of 176 households (Lipnica beneficiaries). This document was then promoted to other local communities with their own water supply system. A Manual for rural water supply network management – Lipnica, example of good practice was also printed, and will make it easier for other local communities to establish responsible management and protection of their water supply.

The project also assisted in drafting the decision on construction, management, use, protection and maintenance of rural water supply networks which will be sent to the municipal mayor and proposed to be included in the procedure for adoption by the municipal council by the end of the current year.