LocationsA new chapter for Gajevi near Šamac: 146 households gain access to safe drinking water
November 17, 2025
The local community of Gajevi near Šamac has received a new 18-kilometre water supply network, providing stable access to drinking water for 146 households for the first time. This development has brought major relief to residents who had struggled for years with frequent water shortages and unsafe conditions for living and working.
Dry summer days without water were part of daily life for residents of Gajevi in the Municipality of Šamac. Even when water was available, the pressure was low, and the water was cloudy and unsafe to drink. The cause was an unstable and dysfunctional water supply system that had needed reconstruction for many years.
Čedomir Lukić, President of the Gajevi Local Community Council, explains that poor water supply affected entire households. Families had to carefully ration water for drinking, cooking and basic hygiene, and agricultural work often had to be paused due to shortages.
Čedomir Lukić
“The water we used came only from the first aquifer, which would recede and disappear. Because of that, crises during the summer were unavoidable. Water shortages affected everything—from daily household needs to work on the land.”Čedomir Lukić
Today, the situation is different. Thanks to the joint efforts of residents, the local government and international partners, Gajevi now has a modern water supply network drawing from deeper and more stable aquifers, ensuring constant access to clean and safe water for all residents.
“With the new 18-kilometre network, installed at a depth of more than one hundred metres, along with a new pumping station and generator, 146 households in Gajevi now have safe and reliable access to drinking water,” Lukić adds.
The construction of the new water supply network in Gajevi was carried out within the Municipal Environmental Governance Project (MEG II), jointly funded by the Government of Switzerland, Sweden, the Government of the Czech Republic, as well as the European Union, and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A total of 500,000 KM was invested in the new water network in Gajevi, of which residents themselves contributed 160,000 KM, while the remaining amount was secured through the budget of the Municipality of Šamac and with support from the MEG II project.
The works were completed in less than six months by the local public company Vodovod i kanalizacija a.d. Šamac, further strengthening local capacity. The company’s director, Mihajlo Đurđević, emphasized that water from the new well in Gajevi is safe and suitable for drinking.
For the Mayor of Šamac, Đorđe Milićević, this project represents far more than infrastructure.
Đorđe Milićević
“As someone who was born and raised among these people, I feel a personal and profound responsibility to see this strategic project realized. We are not only giving people water—we are giving them health, safety and dignity. We are giving them a reason to stay. This municipality cares about every person, whether they live in the town centre or ten kilometres away.”Đorđe Milićević, Mayor of Šamac
For residents of Gajevi and other rural areas, access to water is essential for a dignified life. They say they want only the basics: to water their gardens, wash their clothes and provide safe drinking water for their families. At a time of increasing out-migration, building the water supply system is an investment in the recovery and development of the community.
“We waited a long time for this. We contributed ourselves, and that makes us even happier that the project succeeded. Now we know we can plan ahead. We have the basic conditions for life, and that changes everything,” Milićević added.
With support from the MEG II project, the Municipality of Šamac has made significant progress in the water supply sector over the past three years. More than 100 kilometres of new network have been built across six local communities, and around 1,400 households have been connected to the system for the first time. All of this was achieved without taking on debt, through good organization, transparent cooperation with citizens and strategic support from international partners.
“The MEG II project has not only brought water to Gajevi. It has strengthened the capacities of local government, improved administrative efficiency and given us the tools to be more effective and more accountable to our citizens. Gajevi is now a symbol of what can be achieved when the community, local government and international partners work together,” the Mayor concluded.
Through the Municipal Environmental Governance Project (MEG II), UNDP continues to support local communities across Bosnia and Herzegovina in improving public services and quality of life.
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