Kosovo has a lot of natural water, but getting it to people in need requires infrastructure and money. The Regional Water Companies build and maintain the pipes, but they have trouble maintaining them properly because so many water customers do not pay their bills. In fact, some people tap into the pipes illegally, causing damage and introducing potential contaminants.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting the Peja and Prizren Regional Water Companies in implementation of a major public awareness campaign. It explains why water conservation and paying water bills is important to everyone’s health and welfare.

The campaign, organized with the support of the USAID Kosovo Water Institutional Sector Sector Reform Project (K-WISER), included a competition involving water customers. They were invited to send in receipts showing they had paid their bills regularly. Prizes were awarded, through a raffle, to those with the best payment records. A total of 5,000 people participated, and the winners were announced recently at an event that was widely covered by broadcast and print media. The water companies used the media coverage to remind customers to pay their bills or risk being disconnected.