ViK Split with the biggest operating loss in 2023, as much as 3 million euros
In 2023, Croatia did not reduce losses in the amount of water for human consumption in public water supply; these losses, or the difference between abstracted and delivered quantities, amounted to 51 percent, as in the previous year.
502 million cubic meters of water were abstracted from open watercourses and groundwater, and only half, 244 million cubic meters or 51 percent, was delivered to households and businesses, while the other half was lost, according to the Report on the State of the Water Services Sector and the Work of the Water Services Council for 2023, which was sent to the Croatian Parliament.
In 2023, five million cubic meters more water was abstracted than in the previous year, and 337 thousand cubic meters less was delivered.
There are a number of reasons why water is lost from "source to tap", and one of the main ones is the age of the water supply network, pipes and accompanying equipment, which in some cases exceeds half a century.
In addition to financial losses, water losses have a number of other negative effects, for example, unnecessary abstraction of large quantities of water in certain catchment areas can change the natural biological and hydrological balance in the long term, but also reduce the capacity of springs and thus endanger the water supply of certain areas in the long term.
Water losses are not decreasing, they are increasing
What is even more worrying is the fact that losses in water for human consumption have been increasing since 2019. That year they amounted to 49 percent, the year after 50 percent, in 2021 they fell to 49 percent, and in 2022 and 2023 they rose to 51 percent.
The report also reveals that in the year in question, 2023, 1,8 million cubic meters less water was delivered to households and 15 million more to the business sector than in the previous year.
On a daily basis, households consumed an average of 141 liters of water per person, two liters less than in 2022.
The average monthly consumption of households also decreased from 11,73 cubic meters to 11,61 cubic meters.
The average household water bill increased by 0,40 euros per month
The report on the state of the water services sector also brings numerous other indicators, including that the average household water bill in 2023 increased by 0,40 euros per month, from 27,48 to 27,89 euros, which is a real increase of 3,31 percent.
The Water Services Council, an independent and oversight government body, has also identified major trends in the water services sector in 2023.
Total revenues of the entire sector, compared to the previous year, increased by almost 98 million euros (to almost 725 million) or 15,6 percent, and expenses by 102 million euros (to almost 699 million) or 17,1 percent.
The downward trend in the number of employees in the sector has temporarily stopped at 8.334 employees, since 2019, 204 employees have left the sector and have not been replaced by others.
The average net salary in the public sector was 1.029 euros, which was 82 euros higher than the year before.
Ten water utilities with the biggest losses in 2023.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection registered 152 legal entities whose activity was public water supply and/or drainage. All of them and Zagrebačke otpadne vode submitted annual financial reports, which showed that 99 of them operated with a profit and 54 with a loss, three more than the year before.
The highest losses were reported by the Split Water Supply and Sewerage Company (VIK) (three million euros), Vinkovci VIK (one million euros), Brod Water Supply Company (808.000 euros), Sisak Water Supply Company (579.000 euros), Zagorje Water Supply Company Zabok (552.000), Zadar Water Supply Company (531.000), Karlovac VIK (365.000), Cetina Region Water Supply and Sewerage Company (350.000), Omiš Water Supply Company (313.000) and Metković do o (266.000 euros).
Photo: HINA/Ivo Lučić
