A major fault in the main water pipe near Pintija left eight populated places without water - and once again reminded us how fragile the infrastructure is that we rely on every morning for something as basic as a glass of water.

From 09:00, parts of Skopje and several surrounding municipalities were left without water: Pintija, Usje, Dolno Lisiche, Drachevo, Batinci, Studenichani, Morane and Zelenikovo. The public utility "Water Supply and Sewerage" announced that the interruption is due to the repair of a fault on the main network, and part of the Petrovec municipality was left without electricity at the same time.

A burst main pipe isn't a natural disaster - it's a sign of the state of the underground network, part of which is decades old. Every summer the same story repeats: heat, increased consumption, pressure on old pipes, and in the end - whole neighbourhoods without water right when they need it most. Citizens patiently wait for the fault to be repaired, but the question that rarely gets an answer is when, instead of constant patching, a real renewal of the network will come.