Water prices will be reviewed but any increase will be reasonable according to the head of the Nicosia Water Board yesterday.
Argyris Papanastasiou made the statement at a press conference held in light of the upcoming Water Day, marked each year on March 22.
“With the interest and protection of the consumer in mind, the increase of fees and charges is expected to be reasonable,” said Papanastasiou.
He went on to explain that the reason for the price hike was due to the government’s increase from 77 cents to 82 cents per cubic metre in the sale price of water to the various district water boards.
The main problems facing authorities, said Papanastasiou, were water leaks caused by broken pipes and the increase of underground and invisible leaks “which can only be detected with the use of supervisory means”.
Although such supervision is provided for, he said, “we cannot immediately locate (a leak) in a central network of 1,700km of pipeline”.
Such water loss also caused a loss in revenue, he added, leading to “internal corrective actions” in response, thereby allowing the Water Board to buy less water.
To combat these pressing problems of leaks and leak-related revenue losses, Papanastasiou announced the Water Board was embarking on two projects.
The first, Autoleaks, involves a recently-installed consumption log to help in early leak detection. According to Papanastasiou, if the log proves economical, it will replace household water meters.
The second project, Waterloss, will address the best way to manage supply networks.
Meanwhile, water flow into the island’s reservoirs was low, Papanastasiou said.
Up till the present, water flow reached 36.488 million cubic metres, only a quarter of the amount compared to last year’s 140.1 million cubic metres and 97.2 million cubic metres the year before that.
Supplies were also worrying as the amount in the dams has so far only reached 167.286 million cubic metres, whereas last year supplies stood at 157.2 million cubic metres.
However, if supplies were “handled appropriately” said the Nicosia Water Board chief, the “tragic days of water cuts” could be avoided.
The UN General Assembly-declared World Water Day has been observed every March 22 since 1993. The day is devoted to implementing United Nations recommendations on, and promoting responsible activities to do with, global water resources.
