Beginning of an organised drinking water supply system in Banja Luka dates back in 1908 when Subotica water source was activated. Nowadays, 15-20 l/s of water is being pumped from the water source. The main source of providing drinking water is the Vrbas River. Water intake area is located in Novoselija, 6 km upstream the city.
“Vodovod” a.d. Banja Luka Company /Waterworks Joint Stock Company/ is in charge of the water supply in the city whose water supply system can nowadays produce and distribute approximately 1020 l/s of water in 24 hours or approximately 30 million m³ of water per year. In the period from 1997 to 2000, under donor and own funds, the system was reconstructed in all segments, whereby water supply network was considerably improved and losses reduced from 49 % to 35.27 %.
Water network is of regional character, because water is supplied to the city of Banja Luka, Municipality of Čelinac and part of Municipality of Laktaši (settlements Trn and Slatina). It has been estimated that the ”Vodovod” Banja Luka supplies drinking water to approximately 185,000 inhabitants.
An obligation to provide to consumers quality and safe drinking water imposes a need to take samples on a daily basis as well as to analyse raw and processed water in own laboratory but also in authorised institutions in the Republic of Srpska, Serbia and Croatia. Results of approximately 12,000 tests in 2010 show that water met all standards prescribed under the Book of Rules on Safe Drinking Water.
Total lenght of water network is between 650 and 700 km, and total reservoir area of water supply system of Banja Luka is 16 050 m3, with 5 pre-pump stations. There are 27,276 water gauges incorporated in the system whereof 21,548 for individual consumers , 1,636 for residential blocks and 4,092 for industry, crafts and institutions.
Sewage network in the city dates back from 1912. Current system is of mixed and separation type in the total length of about 320 km.
Activities planned concerning the development of the systems of water supply and drainage of wastewater until 2020 will be carried out in phases, where some will be given priority and others will be permanent tasks. On this occasion we would like to point out the following: continued campaign of systematic elimination of losses, preliminary design of water supply system of the northern part of the city (Tunjice), preliminary design of drainage and treatment of wastewater in the city, construction and expansion of the reservoir area, construction of pipeline network, in particular bigger profiles, and works on further construction and putting into operation the second phase of the water supply factory in Novoselija.
