STATE LAB samples from water in tankers arriving from Greece are questionably representative at best, with Ocean Tankers accused of tampering with the water and inhibiting the work of the health services.
Giorgos Giorgallis, head of the government Health Services, protested yesterday that employees of Ocean Tankers, the company in charge of transporting the much needed water from Greece, were causing “certain hindrances and certain difficulties”.
Speaking to CyBC radio, he further disclosed that there has even been a recent situation where the health service discovered that the water had been chlorinated just before samples were taken, something which shouldn’t be occurring and could also affect how representative the samples are.
The manager of Ocean Tankers yesterday maintained that his company was not causing any hindrances.
“In the past two weeks, it has been observed that the company is somewhat reluctant in allowing [the health service functionaries] to take samples,” Health Minister Christos Paschalides told Alithia newspaper. “The functionaries will continue to take water samples from the tankers irrespective of any obstacles.”
Any delays in taking samples lead to delays in the analysis that needs to be conducted by the State Lab and ultimately sets back the water being pumped into the Limassol water network.
Giorgallis revealed that “last week, even though the time when our functionaries would board the tanker to take samples had been prearranged, the contractor’s employees had boarded the tanker first and left our men waiting behind.
“Our functionaries realised that while the employees were on the ship they proceeded to chlorinate the tanks before the samples were taken.”
He explained that “the contractor should arrange for the water to be chlorinated before it is even loaded onto the tankers” in Greece, before it is sent to Cyprus. “The practice which is being followed is certainly wrong and should not be happening.”
Chlorination is the process which is used to kill germs and purify the water but, according to the agreement with Ocean Tankers, it should be done when the water is still in Greece and not once it has arrived. The fiasco with the first tanker, which had been deemed unsuitable for consumption, had been the result of chlorinating the water after it had arrived in Cyprus.
The Water Development Board seems to be oblivious to these goings-on, with Chief Hydraulic Engineer Sophoclis Aletraris reportedly asserting that there is no clash between Health Services, State Lab and Ocean Tankers and doubting that things were as they appeared.
“There is no way for the water in the tanker to be chlorinated,” he said, speaking to CyBC, because the necessary device is not present on the tankers. Aletraris explained that chlorination can only take place in Eleusina, the Greek port from where the water tankers leave, and it happens only if it is required.
Referring to the case of the first tanker he stated that “in that situation, they tried to chlorinate the water [while the tanker was docked] and we saw the result.”
