Water safety warnings issued across Balkan regions due to contamination

Public health authorities in several Balkan regions have issued warnings regarding water and food safety following various contamination findings.

In Montenegro, the Institute of Public Health confirmed the presence of E. coli in the municipal water supply of Rožaje. Local authorities have advised citizens to boil all water used for drinking, food preparation, and hygiene until further notice. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Sarajevo Canton Institute of Public Health declared water from the local “Sedam Vrela” supply in Vogošća epidemiologically risky, prohibiting its use for drinking, personal hygiene, or cleaning.

In Croatia, investigations in the Lika region have yielded mixed results. In Gospić, testing of 43 individual water sources revealed that while most were chemically clean, two wells near an illegal waste site contained PFAS compounds exceeding safe limits. However, the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) maintains that the public water supply in the Lika-Senj County and Pag island remains safe for consumption. Additionally, food testing in Gospić showed that most local produce is safe, with only one sample of aronia exceeding cadmium limits, which officials suggest may be due to natural soil properties rather than the nearby waste site.