Many of the hotels, hospitality establishments and tourist settlements along the Lake Ohrid shoreline are potential or direct sources of pollution. These also include private homes around Saraishte, Kaneo and the Church of St Sophia, houses along the rest of the shoreline, and the villages of Trpejca, Ljubanishta and Radozhda, according to the Institute of Public Health (IPH), which has published this year’s report assessing the quality and safety of surface bathing waters.
As established in previous IPH reports covered by Meta.mk, a wastewater collection system was built to protect the lake. It collects wastewater from the cities of Ohrid and Struga, which is then treated at the wastewater treatment plant in the village of Vranishta. However, according to available information from sanitary and hygiene inspections conducted by the Ohrid Centre for Public Health, a number of facilities that have remained outside the collection system in recent years continue to pose a potential pollution risk.
“These include hotels, hospitality establishments and tourist settlements along the Lake Ohrid shoreline, from Hotel Desaret to St Naum, as well as hotels, hospitality establishments and tourist settlements between Struga and the village of Radozhda. The only hotel along this section connected to the collection system is Hotel Makpetrol, through the system serving the village of Radolishta, Hotel Biser and the village of Kalishta. They also include private houses situated on the shore of Lake Ohrid, from Saraishte Beach and the Church of St Sophia to the waterfront area of Kaneo. Private houses along the entire shoreline, as well as the villages of Trpejca, Ljubanishta and Radozhda, use septic tanks for the disposal of municipal wastewater. In some places, these are emptied by the public utility service. In the village of Radozhda, sewage from household septic tanks is either discharged directly into the lake or, because the tanks are situated immediately beside the beach, seeps into the lake, making them direct sources of pollution,” the report emphasizes.
It adds that beach bars installed directly along the lakeshore and on the beaches are also sources of pollution.
St Naum has a sewage macerator, but no filters or chlorination
According to the IPH, other sources of pollution include stormwater drainage pipes that empty into the lake. The report states that sewage outlets from apartment buildings and private houses have been connected to some of these pipes, either deliberately or unintentionally.
Swimming pools belonging to hospitality establishments, as well as the city swimming pool in Ohrid, are also listed among the potential sources of pollution.
“Hotel St Naum, the Ostrovo restaurant and the other hospitality establishments at St Naum are connected to a local sewerage system constructed in 2013. However, the St Naum sewerage system is not functioning properly, as the treatment of sewage is incomplete. There is only a sewage macerator, but no filters, and the wastewater is not chlorinated before being discharged into the lake, making it a direct source of pollution. At the Ljubanishta, Livadishte and Gradishte campsites, the Putex treatment plants operate through mechanical and chemical treatment at Gradishte, mechanical, biological and chemical treatment at Ljubanishta, and mechanical and biological wastewater treatment at Livadishte. For the Putex plants to function properly, their chambers must be emptied regularly—every three or six months, and no later than once every 12 months—and they must also undergo regular mechanical cleaning, washing and disinfection,” the report states.
Tests conducted in May and June found the lake safe for swimming
Following field inspections, laboratory analyses of surface-water samples and an expert assessment, the report found that water samples taken from Lake Ohrid between 20 May and 24 June 2026 met the legal requirements for physicochemical quality and were classified as Class I.
The only exception was the sampling point at Grashnica Beach, near the stormwater outlet, where the surface water was classified as Class III. With regard to microbiological parameters, most surface-water samples were classified as ‘excellent’. The water at the beaches near Hotel Royal and Labino, as well as at the Studenchishta Canal, was classified as ‘good’.
“At the sampling point at Grashnica Beach, near the stormwater outlet, however, the surface-water sample did not meet the microbiological criteria required for either an ‘excellent’ or a ‘good’ rating,” the report states.
Authorities urged to establish a fully functional wastewater collection system
Among its recommendations for improving the situation, the IPH says that a fully functional wastewater collection system covering every facility along the shoreline is essential. This should include hotels, hospitality establishments, private homes, residential buildings and settlements extending from St Naum to Radozhda.
“Faults in the existing system must be repaired urgently, the mixing of sewage and stormwater drainage must be prevented, and the uninterrupted operation of pumping stations must be ensured in order to avoid the direct discharge of wastewater into the lake during heavy rainfall. Regular maintenance and cleaning of the local treatment systems at the campsites is recommended, along with the inspection and rehabilitation of potential pollution sources in rivers that flow into the lake and the prevention of direct wastewater discharge from households and hospitality establishments. The Ohrid Centre for Public Health will continue regularly monitoring the quality of water at the beaches in order to identify risks promptly and ensure safe swimming conditions in accordance with national and European standards,” the recommendations state.
No potential sources of pollution identified at Lake Prespa
The IPH also collected water samples from Lake Prespa. Surface-water samples for bacteriological and physicochemical analysis were collected from six sampling points: the beaches at Stenje, Oteshevo, Pretor, Slivnica, Krani and Dolno Dupeni.
No potential sources of pollution were observed, the IPH report states.
“The beach at Pretor is a natural beach that has been partially landscaped with fine sand. There is no visible algal bloom in the water. No potential sources of pollution have been observed, and the risk of pollution is low. There is no visible pollution on the beach. The beach has no system for providing information about water quality. There are also no warning procedures in the event of a hazard on the beach or in the water,” the report noted.
Wastewater from all facilities is collected in privately owned soakaway pits. Only the Mite Bogoevski children’s holiday centre has a wastewater treatment plant, which is not operational.
“Solid-waste collection is organised for some facilities, but most burn their waste. At individual holiday homes, solid-waste disposal is handled separately by each property,” the IPH report states.
Pesticides, bathers and wastewater from holiday settlements pollute Lake Dojran
Agriculture has been identified as a potential source of pollution in Lake Dojran because cultivated farmland is situated near the lake. Crops grown in the area are treated with pesticides and artificial fertilizers, which can enter the lake through irrigation, surface runoff and groundwater flows.
Other sources of pollution include households in rural and holiday-home settlements where solid and liquid waste, including municipal wastewater, is not disposed of in accordance with sanitary and hygiene standards, as well as visitors using the lakeshore for recreation.
The report notes that “improving and providing long-term protection for the health and ecological condition of Lake Dojran requires a coordinated approach and joint activities by the Macedonian and Greek sides. These should identify the sources of pollution and implement measures for the integrated protection of the lake’s ecosystem.”
“Continuous water-quality monitoring must be established, covering physicochemical, microbiological and biological parameters, including monitoring for the presence of pesticides and heavy metals. The results of these analyses should be published regularly to ensure that the public is informed promptly. Particular attention should be paid to the effects of agricultural activities in the lake’s catchment area through farmer education, the promotion of good agricultural practices, the reduction of uncontrolled pesticide and fertiliser use, and support for organic production,” the IPH report states.
