Štip Left Without Water After Storm Overwhelms Filter Station
Extreme turbidity from the Zletovica hydro-system shut down water treatment, with officials unable to say when supply will return to normal.
The city of Štip has been without drinking water since yesterday afternoon, after the filter station of the "Zletovica" hydro-system was shut down due to extremely elevated turbidity in raw water arriving from the Kneževo dam.
At an emergency press conference, the director of public utility "Isar" Štip, Aleksandar Arsovski, explained the problem is a direct consequence of the storm that hit the Probištip region the previous evening. The "Zletovica" hydro-system is having difficulty operating and supplying raw water to all municipalities that rely on this source.
A Question Without a Clear Answer
Asked when water supply would return to normal, Arsovski said it would be unfair to give a specific timeline at this point. Crews from "Zletovica" and "Isar" are working in coordination to resolve the problem, but water turbidity needs to drop significantly first before the filter station can resume processing.
The city's opposition quickly seized on the incident for political criticism, pointing out that Štip's alternative well system, which functioned as a backup option for decades, has been left neglected — leaving the city entirely dependent on a single water source every time a severe storm hits.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · August 31, 2026