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Waters

In order to ensure drinkable water, water for industry and irrigation, at the borders of Kosovo’s valley were erected three artificial dams and three lakes were created: Badovc (over Graçanka river), Batllava (over Batllava river, branch of Llap), and Gazivoda (over Iber river). Apart from these lakes some other artificial lakes were created in Kosovo, such as Livoçi lake, Përlepnica lake and Radoniqi lake.
The lakes of Badovc and Batllava serve for supplying with drinkable water the region of Prishtina and surrounding areas, and for supplying the industrial constructions with technical water.
In general, the cities in Kosovo have considerable problems with water and there is a need for the erection of more artificial lakes on the outskirts of valleys on mountainous regions, but their erection requires great financial means.

In order to realize the overall interest in the use of water by natural and legal persons that are going to use or discharge water, the law on water was ratified. The right to water have all natural and legal persons internally and externally, in accordance with the law.

The competent authorities for the administration of water in Kosovo are:

  • Government; 
    Kosovo Council for waters; 
    Ministry; 
    Regional Authorities of Fluvial Basin (RAFB); and 
    Municipalities.

The Water Permit is issued for:

  • Extraction of water, 
    Discharge of polluted water, 
    Construction, reconstruction, demolition of buildings that affect the water regime; 
    Activities of mines and geological projects, which affect the water regime; 
    Use of sand, gravel, rock and clay, and 
    Other activities that might affect the water regime.

The water permits are issued by:

  • MESP for most of the constructions with the exception of constructions that do not have used waters and that contain harmful and dangerous substances; 
    Regional Authority of Fluvial Basin (RAFB); and 
    Municipality.

The main polluters of superficial waters are settlements, urban and rural zones, and industrial parts of urban areas. The sewage waters and industrial waters without any control and without prior treatment are discharged into rivers causing the pollution of waters with organic and microbiologic materials. 
Based on the best possible data the total of discharged sewage waters for year 2004 in Kosovo is 1.200 l/s or 110.000 m¹³/d. 
The low level of development of water supply and sewage system, the pollution of rivers from sewage water due to the lack of implementations, the lack of water accumulations, the low level of development of irrigation system, and the low level of reparation of river banks are worrying problems for our societies.