Reconstruction of drinking fountains in Zaječar
In one hundred years, one hundred drinking fountains were built in Zaječar, making this city unique throughout Europe. In order for healthy and clean water to remain available for generations to come, by the end of the year, three more city fountains and one artesian well, which is the basis for water supply, will be restored, it was announced at the conference "Every drop counts" in the City Hall.
The reconstruction will be realized through the Reservoir project, financed by Heineken Serbia, and implemented by NALED, together with the association "Za česme" and the city of Zaječar, with the aim of preserving water resources and purifying waste water.
Mayor Boško Ničić underlined on this occasion that Heineken Serbia is a very important partner for the local community and a role model that is important to follow when it comes to supporting and implementing socially responsible activities.
- I am happy with the realization of the Reservoir project and the continued investment in the local community. I hope that, as before, in the coming period we will continue the partnership relationship and mutual cooperation with the Heineken company on the issue of many important topics for the city and the preservation of the natural resources of our region - said Ničić.
Emphasizing the company's commitment to remain a long-term credible partner to the community in which it operates, Neda Đokić, general director of Heineken Serbia, reminded that "the data of the study prepared by NALED show that Serbia, unfortunately, is not a country rich in water, and the care for this resource is not sufficiently recognized by the public as an important topic".
- This is precisely why it is necessary to invest in the preservation and restoration of water resources and to constantly work on raising public awareness. As part of our company strategy Every drop counts, we have so far restored four fountains and reconstructed and revitalized several artesian wells. This year, we are continuing with the renovation of three more fountains and one artesian well, all with the aim of providing all fellow citizens with better access to clean drinking water, which comes from a depth of hundreds of meters - said Đokić.
Slobodan Krstović, Sustainable Development Director at NALED, emphasized that his organization, together with the Heineken company, will work on the mapping and register of locations, but also on the establishment of cooperation at the local levels for the revitalization and restoration of public taps and artesian wells in several cities Serbia.
- Serbia has about 1,500 cubic meters of water per inhabitant, and some minimum should be 2,500. We are not that rich in water and in 91% of cases we rely on transit water, while neglecting our original water. That's why initiatives like the project launched by the Heineken company are of particular importance, and we are pleased that, starting from Zaječar, we will initiate the renewal of taps and wells in other cities as well - pointed out the director for sustainable development at NALED, Slobodan Krstović.
By signing an agreement with the City of Zaječar and the "Za česme" Association, successful cooperation on the restoration of public fountains and artesian wells in Zaječar continued. During the previous period, three fountains on the territory of the city were restored and the source of Trg was reconstructed by making and installing a replica of the original fountain from 1883.
