Council Dithers as precious water runs out

OROKLINI COUNCIL have let thousands of litres of water go to waste by failing to fix a leak on Agiou Savva Street for the past week.

Despite numerous reports by residents that water was leaking out of a crack in the pavement and running off into a nearby field, they have not fixed the leak or told residents when this will be done.

One local resident, Michael Jarvis, said yesterday “The leak was first reported on Sunday the 6th September. It was reported again on Monday morning when the office was open. On Wednesday, two local Cypriot residents and I reported it. It has now stopped because it is we have a restricted supply on Saturdays, but as soon as it comes back on I am sure the leakage will continue.”

Jarvis estimated that thousands of litres must have been lost by now. “It was coming out at the rate of a hose pipe turned on full.” The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs (DEFRA) estimates that hosepipes use up to 18 litres per minute. At this rate, over 125,000 litres could have been wasted in five days of leakage.

Jarvis added that a leak had sprung earlier in the year, only five yards from the current site. “It took three or four days for them to come and fix it last time. Is there or is there not a water shortage?”

The most recent leakage statistics available are for 2006. In his Annual Report, the Auditor General said that Nicosia lost 20 per cent of its water supply through leakages in the distribution system that year. They lost 3.7 million cubic metres at a cost €2.9 million.

Larnaca lost 28 per cent of its supply through leaks, (€1.2m), Limassol 17 per cent (€1.7m), while Paphos lost up to 35 per cent between 1999 and 2005 (€3.5m). Frenaros had the worst record with almost half its water supply, 46 per cent, lost through leakages. For 2005, Yermasoya lost 40 per cent of its water to leaks and Ayia Napa 35 per cent.

Oroklini council were unavailable for comment yesterday.

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