Water bills in Ohrid to rise from January 1

Residents of Ohrid will pay 8% more for water starting January 1. The decision adopted today by the majority on the municipal council foresees that the overall increase in bills will reach up to 16 percent by 2029.

The increase will also affect local businesses, hotels and tourism operators, which are expected to face bills that are 20 percent higher.

Lidija Nedanoska, a councillor from SDSM, criticized the decision, saying that the governing majority led by VMRO-DPMNE increased water utility service fees without difficulty. According to her, legal entities will pay 20 percent more over the next three years, directly burdening the citizens of Ohrid. Nedanoska said the increase is not accompanied by an improvement in service quality and that the local government is acting in the interests of public enterprises, with the aim of presenting positive financial results.

An analysis of water bills in Ohrid says they amounted to around 400 denars in 2020 and 480 denars in 2023. A bill of 550 denars is projected for 2026, while in 2027 it is expected to be around 620 denars.

The analysis also compares the purchasing power of the minimum wage. In 2018, a minimum wage of 12,165 denars enabled the purchase of 476 cubic meters of water at the rate in effect at the time. With the minimum wage of 24,379 denars in 2025, 659 cubic meters could be purchased, while in 2026, with a minimum wage of 26,046 denars, the amount would reach 695 cubic meters.

The Public Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprise describes the increases as small and reasonable, saying they were approved following an earlier decision by the Regulatory Commission for Energy and Water Services.

Marjan Risteski, director of the Ohrid Public Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprise, said the approved tariff is more affordable for residents. According to him, the increase in the first year is around 4 denars; for an average family that consumes 10–15 cubic meters of water, this means approximately 30–40 additional denars. Risteski stressed that, although every denar matters to citizens, the enterprise must be maintained, modernized and digitalized to ensure the water supply.

The change will also affect the bills of the Public Enterprise “Niskogradba,” which deals with the collection and removal of wastewater and sewage. According to the enterprise, for a family of four, the additional cost will be around 3 denars per month.