Decades-old water woes persist in Serbian spa town Vrdnik as residents struggle for supply

While Vrdnik, a popular spa town in Serbia nestled at the foot of Fruška Gora mountain, attracts thousands of tourists each summer, many of its residents are experiencing dry taps. Those living on higher ground report being without water for weeks at a time, disrupting daily life.

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There's no showering, no washing dishes in large quantities, no washing clothes, and so on. I take everything to Novi Sad to solve it.

"There's no showering, no washing dishes in large quantities, no washing clothes, and so on. I take everything to Novi Sad to solve it," described local resident Jovan Mirković, highlighting the lengths some must go to. This is not a new problem; the water supply network, originally constructed in the 1970s, struggles to meet the demands of Vrdnik's development and increasing number of inhabitants and tourists.

Residents express frustration over the lack of progress on a reconstruction project. Although a contract was reportedly signed in 2023, locals claim nothing has been done. "Where I have water in my house now, that was a private initiative 20 years ago to have water, and if we had waited for the municipality or the waterworks, we would never have had water, never," Mirković stated.

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Where I have water in my house now, that was a private initiative 20 years ago to have water, and if we had waited for the municipality or the waterworks, we would never have had water, never.

Further complicating matters, many residents who have paid to connect to the municipal water supply receive water only a few hours a day, if at all. "Thirty of them, I know them all, because I know everyone here. They all connected to the city water and paid, believe me, a lot of money – and they don't have water," said Stevan Tomić, another resident.

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Thirty of them, I know them all, because I know everyone here. They all connected to the city water and paid, believe me, a lot of money – and they don't have water.

Vrdnik relies on a water supply system from Ruma, leading to a constant shifting of responsibility between institutions. Mirković questioned why municipal authorities did not upgrade the water supply capacity for all parts of Vrdnik, including those on the outskirts, in parallel with construction projects. While the town center generally experiences stable water pressure, owners of smaller accommodation facilities have been particularly hard-hit, forced to offer free stays due to the lack of water. Despite claims of ongoing work and pipe bursts, residents report seeing no evidence of repairs, leaving them waiting for answers and, more importantly, for water.

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Why they didn't strengthen the water supply capacity for all parts of Vrdnik, both those in the center and us here on the outskirts, in parallel with construction.