The Bay of Kotor consists of several bays connected by narrow channels. It is a sensitive area of utmost importance for tourism in Montenegro with a high environmental and cultural value. The Bay of Kotor is partially protected under the UNESCO World Heritage classification and various environmental and cultural protection schemes.
Despite major investments in the water and sanitation infrastructure made in previous years, including the construction of the joint wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) Tivat/Kotor, four main settlements in the municipality of Kotor are still not covered with a sewer system.
The settlements Risan, Perast, Stoliv, and Prcanj are medieval old towns and touristic attractions in Montenegro. Currently, most houses in these areas have septic tanks which often leak, or directly discharge wastewater into the environment and thus pose a threat in terms of contamination of groundwater and the Bay. Furthermore, water supply systems are in a dilapidated state and require rehabilitation in order to be able to serve demand peaks during the tourist season.
In order to ensure environmentally sound and hygienically safe disposal of wastewater in the Bay of Kotor, the extension of the sewage system to four decentralised settlements along the Bay is an important step towards environmental protection and meeting EU standards. Through the planned investments, additional 6,500 people will have access to sanitation services (Risan, Perast, Stoliv, Prcanj), directly resulting in a reduction of the pollution of the environmentally sensitive Bay of Kotor.
In December 2018, WBIF funds were approved for the first stage of investments, financing the secondary sewerage systems in Risan and Perast.
