Parliament rejects ban on drinking water being used in pools

Parliament on Friday rejected a bill which aimed to ban drinking water from use in swimming pools.

Water coming from the island’s main supply – local boards – is deemed to be drinking water, though locals largely use bottled water.

The bill, proposed by the Green Party, had been submitted in 2009 but was rejected when it went to plenum on Friday by 18 votes in favour and 19 against.

Currently, a ban exists on using water from the main water board for washing pavements, streets and cars, although it is widely ignored.

The bill aimed to extend the ban to swimming pools.

The bill sought to prioritise water supplies for drinking.as Cyprus often faces droughts and risks water cuts,

During discussions, water board representatives had said they were unable to carry out proper checks even with the current legislation in place and since 2009, very few fines had been imposed.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.