26/08/2024

Workers at the Construction Site Cut the Pipe Leading to the Artesian Well in the “Ključ 3” Settlement. Water Will Flow Again Within Two Weeks at the Latest

In less than two years, the artesian well in the “Ključ 3” settlement has dried up for the second time. This has alarmed the residents of this settlement and the surrounding houses in Kotlujevac, who have been using the well daily for drinking water for years. Some citizens have also reached out to the president of the Association “Za Drinking Fountains”, Boban Pogarčić, because in recent years, this association, along with its partners, has undertaken the reconstruction of active wells and artesian springs in the city. On this occasion, Pogarčić contacted the authorities at the Public Utility Company “Vodovod”, who confirmed to him that the well dried up a few days ago:

Photo: Dejan Todorović

“The “Vodovod” company, responsible for maintaining the wells, sent a team to the site, where they confirmed what was suspected—that the workers at the construction site of a new market across from the well had cut the pipe that supplies water from the well to the fountain. The contractor was instructed to stop the water leakage and to compensate by installing a new pipeline that would bypass the construction area of the new building. The fact is that for most of the wells in the city, the pipeline routes from the well to the fountains are not mapped out, which is why such unintentional incidents of water supply interruption can occur. Some of these wells are over a century old, which is why it is important that for the five wells that have been reconstructed, we now know exactly where their wells are located and the paths of their pipes as well.”

Photo: Dejan Todorović

As Pogarčić was informed by the authorities at Public Utility Company “Vodovod”, their teams are expected to install a new pipeline approximately 400 meters long. After testing the water for hygienic safety, water should start flowing from the well in ‘Ključ 3’ in about 15 days.

Let’s recall that this well, along with another nearby, unexpectedly dried up in December 2022. At that time, members of the Association “Za Drinking Fountains” and representatives of Public Utility Company “Vodovod” Zaječar discovered an illegal artesian borehole in the vicinity, which posed a threat to several wells in Kotlujevac.

Association “Za Drinking Fountains”

This text was produced within the project “Environmental response to mining expansion in Timočka Krajina” funded by the European Union, and implemented by the Association “Za Drinking Fountains”, the Association of Young Researchers Bor, Civic Library “Europe” Bor and Children’s Center Zaječar. The content of the text is entirely responsibility of these associations and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.