The supply of potable water to the residents of Berane through the water supply system began in September 1962, after nearly two years of construction, when the investors:
- “Municipality of Ivangrad”,
- Sulfate Pulp and Paper Factory – under construction,
- “Lim” – timber industry complex,
- “Coal Mine”,
- “Polimka” – leather factory, and
- “Rudeš” – brick and tile factory,
signed an agreement and “transferred the management and use of the potable water supply to the Municipal Drinking Water Administration.”
The “potable water supply” transferred at that time consisted of the following facilities:
- The “Monastery Spring” intake,
- Gravitational pipeline,
- Pumping station in the town,
- Pressure pipeline from the pumping station to the reservoir at Jasikovac,
- Reservoir at Jasikovac,
- Pressure pipeline from the bridge on the Lim River to the water distribution point for industrial facilities at Rudeš, in front of the gate of the “Lim” Wood-Industry Complex, and
- The city water supply network.
The capture of “Merić Vrelo” near Lubnice, which was connected to the pumping station in Berane and the break chamber in the Banjevac area by a main gravitational pipeline in 1988, provided additional quantities of drinking water and created conditions for connecting all suburban settlements to the city water supply system. Through the reconstruction of this pipeline in 2008 and 2014, the amount of water taken from this water source was increased by 30%. The Dapsić-Polički water supply system was built between 1980 and 1983. At that time, the source near the Dapsićka River was captured, and a main gravitational and pressure pipelines, a break chamber in Dapsići, and a pumping station and reservoir at Polica, along with a water supply network for the residents of Dapsići, Petnjik, Gornja Budimlja, Polica, as well as industrial facilities and institutions in these local communities, were constructed.
Although this water supply system was not completed, neither technically nor technologically, its use began in 1983. By the decision of the Municipal Assembly of Berane in 1996, this water supply system was transferred for management and operation to the “Public Utility for Housing and Communal Activities.”
After numerous organizational and structural changes, from 2002 to 2014, the city and Dapsić-Polički water supply were managed by the Public Enterprise “Water Supply and Sewerage,” and since 2014, it has been under the authority of the Limited Liability Company “Water Supply and Sewerage.”
From “Merić Vrelo,” over 200 liters per second are continuously extracted, from “Monastery Vrelo,” when necessary, 85 liters per second, and from “Dapsić Vrelo,” 45 liters per second.
Regular water quality testing in the city water supply indicates that the physical-chemical properties of the water are within the limits of relevant parameters defined by regulations on drinking water quality.
An occasional problem is the turbidity of the water in the city water supply, which occurs shortly after heavy rainfall. Chlorination of water from “Merić Vrelo” is done in the break chamber at Banjevac. There is another chlorinator in the pumping station in Berane, which chlorinates water from “Monastery Vrelo” when it is in use and also serves as a backup for chlorinating water from “Merić Vrelo.” The content of free chlorine and the turbidity level of the water are parameters that are regularly monitored as part of the daily tasks of the responsible service in the company. The distribution network (primary and secondary) is approximately 168 km long and is used by just over 24,000 citizens, which is over 85% of the total population of Berane. It is made from pipes of various materials – cast iron, galvanized, asbestos-cement, polyethylene, and PVC. At the beginning of 2017, the total number of registered consumers was 9,157, of which 8,384 were individuals and 773 were legal entities. Among individuals, 6,464 consumers were registered in private houses, and 1,920 in apartment buildings. The length of the sewerage network is 19 km, and it is used by around 16,000 citizens, or 55% of the total population of Berane.
There are 5,378 connections to the sewerage network. The company owns break chambers at Banjevac and in Dapsići, pumping stations in Berane, Polica, and Lužac, and reservoirs at Jasikovac and Polica.
The equipment consists of hydraulic and mechanical equipment in the pumping stations and on the pipelines, and chlorination devices in the break chamber at Banjevac and in the pumping station in Berane. The company also owns two vehicles with equipment used for maintaining the sewerage system, as well as a backhoe, known as a “damper.”
The correctness of the drinking water in Berane is checked by the Institute for Public Health and complies with the Regulation on the Specific Requirements for Drinking Water Safety, Official Gazette of Montenegro No. 24/2012, and the Regulation on the Hygienic Safety of Drinking Water, Official Gazette of the former FRY No. 42/98 and 44/99.