Living Standards Measurements Study - Serbia 2002 - 2007

Table 11.2. Water and sewerage characteristics by poor and non poor (below and above the poverty
line) percent unless otherwise stated
Characteristic Poor Non poor
Have water available every day in the last 2 weeks 81.5 82.5
Have 24 hour availability (when water comes) 95.3 97.4
Treats water 7.2 6.9
Connected to central sewerage system 26.7 57.7
Uses pit latrine 44.1 8.3
Own private home 92.9 90.2
Number of people in household 3 3
Has agricultural holding 36.7 29.7
Average monthly cost of rent (dinar) ab 2 000 10 100
Average monthly cost of electricity (dinar) ac 1 200 2 200
Average weekly cost of water bill (dinar) a 79 115
Stated monthly income (dinar) ac 20 200 45 100
Has water payments in arrears 15.6 9.4
Average amount in arrears with water payments (dinar) ac 14 000 4 000
a Average for those with a positive response
b Rounded to nearest thousand
c Rounded to nearest hundred
11.5. Reliability of WSS services -
quantity
There are indications that the water supply
service is not particularly reliable. Overall 17.5 of
the population experienced a cut off for an entire
day in the two weeks prior to the interview. The
problem was least serious in Belgrade and the worst
in East Serbia and Vojvodina. Residents of
secondary cities and villages suffered more than
those of Belgrade.
Overall, 97 percent of households reported that
when water is available it is available for 24 hours a
day. For the other 2.8 percent (76 households)
water was available, on average, for fifteen hours a
day.
11.6. Coping strategies to improve
WSS access
If the main drinking water source is not
available, households have three options:
1. use alternative potable water source
2. use saved/stored drinking water
3. ask their neighbours for help
Among the three alternatives, by far the most
preferred coping mechanism is to use an alternative
source of water (67 percent). The first alternative
source mentioned by most people is bottled water
(71 percent), followed by public tap (10 percent)
and all types of dug well or springs (12 percent). 26
percent of households use stored water and 22
percent ask their neighbours.
The strategies used to deal with lack of
drinking water vary according to settlement type
and region. An alternative source is used by 74
percent of residents of secondary towns compared
to 59.5 percent in rural areas (Table 3). Turning to
a neighbour for help is the least likely strategy used
but it is three times much more likely in rural areas
when compared to Belgrade (31 percent compared
to 13 percent). The qualitative interviews
highlighted the high degree of solidarity among
villagers who have wells with good drinking water
not to charge their neighbours for using them5F6 .
Vojvodina residents are most likely to use an
alternative source of drinking water while those
living in South East Serbia are those most likely to
request help from neighbours.
156 Living Standards Measurements Study - Serbia 2002 - 2007