Greek water running smoothly

THE PROCESS of transporting drinking water from Greece is now running smoothly, the Executive President of Ocean Tankers, Michalis Ioannides, confirmed yesterday.

The project’s success, which relies heavily on timing and co-ordination, will be tested in the coming weeks, when all six tankers will have gone through the necessary lab tests and will operate without additional delays.

“The entire project will be judged in the next ten days when all six ships will be making normal routes, working 24 hours without the delays caused to make the necessary chemical analysis,” Ioannides said.

While the water is flowing to Limassol’s network, Ocean Tankers is also working on the construction of a pumping station, to help transport the water in areas of high altitude. Ioannides yesterday confirmed that the pumping station would be ready in ten days, clarifying that the construction of the pumping station was included in initial plans, and was not an ad hoc response to a problem encountered along the way.

“The pumping station is an issue we put forward even before this project had started. We said that it is needed to help ships carry water to higher altitudes. The pumps and everything else are ready, there is co-operation with the Water Board, and within the next ten days it will be in place,” Ioannides said.

Ioannides also clarified that the pumping station’s construction does not affect the flow of the water, but that it is a ‘preventive measure’. “If it is asked of us to take water higher up, in other words to put water in Yermasoyia Dam, we must help the ship’s pumps,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Ioannides confirmed that his company would be claiming the cash bonus for bringing the water earlier than the date provided in the contract signed with the Water Board. The contract stipulates that the water should arrive by August 22 and it arrived at Limassol’s coast on July 15. The issue of when the water actually started flowing to Limassol was, reportedly, not included in the contract.

“We brought the water in record time. If the contract says there is a bonus, my company is entitled to it and will claim it. No one has said the bonus will not be given,” he added.

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