HOW THE OLD DERVENTA WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM BECAME A NATIONAL MONUMENT OF BiH

In November 2018, the Old Derventa Water Supply System officially earned the status of a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a petition submitted by the Research Center "Iskon" and the Public Utility Company "Komunalac" at the end of 2017. This milestone coincided with the 120th anniversary of the water supply system's existence.

PHOTO: Derventa caffe

Architect Emir Softić, a representative of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, visited the Old Derventa Water Supply System in May 2018. Accompanied by Milijan Stojičić from "Komunalac" Derventa and Damir Kljajić from the "Iskon" Research Center, he assessed the condition, historical significance, and future potential of the system.

The Derventa water supply system is among the oldest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Remarkably, its infrastructure, built in the late 19th century, remains not only well-preserved but also operational to this day.

The initiative to construct the water supply system was launched in 1886, with the water supply project being designed in 1887 by the engineering firm of Fritz Pasini in Vienna.

"The Provincial Government approved the construction of the Derventa water supply system on August 18, 1896. Work began in the village of Gornja Lupljanica on September 10, 1896, and was completed in just a year, on September 15, 1897," explained Damir Kljajić. "The project cost 126,000 forints, equivalent to 252,000 gold crowns. Most of the funding came from the Derventa Municipality, with a smaller contribution from the 'State Railways of Bosnia and Herzegovina'."

Today, the Old Derventa Water Supply System stands as a testament to the region's historical and engineering heritage, symbolizing over a century of functionality and cultural significance.