Mickoski Announces Discovery of New Bacterium in Gostivar Water Supply; Water Remains Unsafe for Consumption

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said that water from the public supply network in Gostivar remains unsafe for drinking or cooking due to the presence of a new bacterium remaining in the system.

According to him, tests show that fecal coliform bacteria have now been eliminated from the system. However, the hyperchlorination and network-cleaning process revealed another type of bacterium that survived in the pipes because they had been out of operation for an extended period.

“We currently no longer have fecal coliform bacteria, but another residual bacterium has emerged in the system because it had been out of use for a long time. This bacterium comes to the surface precisely during cleaning and hyperchlorination,” Mickoski explained.

The head of government expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved in the near future, adding that once the situation has been addressed, the responsible authorities will issue the necessary authorization to declare the water fit for human consumption again. Until then, he clarified that the water supply should be used only for technical and hygiene purposes.