Skopje, 21 July 2026 (MIA) – The Public Prosecutor’s Office released the results of the analysis of water samples taken in Gostivar, confirming that the water is heavily contaminated and unsuitable for any use. An investigation has been launched against the director and two other officials of Gostivar’s public utility company, who have been detained.

The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Gostivar has launched an investigation against the three detained persons over “serious crimes against the environment and nature caused by acts of polluting drinking water.”

“The suspects, as co-perpetrators and officials holding the positions of acting director Gostivar’s public utility company, technical head of the Technical Affairs Sector and head of the Water Supply, Sewerage and Construction Department, contaminated the drinking water with harmful substances, rendering it unusable in the overflow chamber of the water supply system serving the municipality of Gostivar and several nearby villages,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, on June 25 the suspects instructed company employees to install three submersible pumps in a channel with surface water containing harmful substances near the drinking water overflow chamber, in order to test the pressure of the water supply system.

An inspection on July 16 found that two submersible pumps were still operating, with hoses running through the overflow opening and carrying water containing coliform bacteria from an open channel into the chamber of the drinking water supply system, where water of controlled quality is stored in a closed system.

As a result, water containing harmful substances from the channel entered the main water supply pipeline, causing contamination of the system.

At the order of a public prosecutor, the Institute of Public Health carried out analyses of samples taken from the surface water in the open channel, determining that the water is highly contaminated and cannot be used for any purpose due to the presence of coliform bacteria at a level of 2,419.6 cfu/100 ml, compared with the maximum permitted level of 50 cfu/100 ml.

In samples taken from the captured water source, an increased number of aerobic mesophilic bacterial colonies was detected, as well as the presence of coliform bacteria, which according to reference values should be 0 cfu/100 ml, while 39 cfu/100 ml were found in the water. Due to the high level of contamination, the water has become unusable and is unsafe for human use and consumption.

A further water sample collected from a street tap in Gostivar also showed excessive chlorine levels, with residual chlorine measured at 1.1 mg/l. According to the applicable standards, the permitted range is 0.2 to 0.3 mg/l, and it must not exceed 0.5 mg/l.

The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Gostivar continues to undertake investigative actions to fully clarify the circumstances of the case. The suspects have been detained, and the prosecutor will decide today what measures, if any, will be requested from the court.

Photo: MIA