Nicosia has reduced non charged water use to 22 per cent, well below the Cyprus average of 33 per cent, district governor Constantinos Yiorkadjis said on Tuesday, describing water conservation as one of the organisation’s most significant achievements.
Speaking at an event marking two and a half years of the Nicosia district local government organisation (EOA), Yiorkadjis said the district’s performance was also better than the European average of 25 per cent.
“In a country suffering from water scarcity, this is probably the organisation’s greatest achievement,” he said.
He explained that non charged water includes losses through leaks.
Yiorkadjis said Nicosia accounted for approximately 40 per cent of the country’s water use, adding that the difference between the district’s performance and the national average represented an estimated 14 million cubic metres of water saved annually.
Installation of smart waters meters continues
He said approximately 27 million cubic metres of water flowed through the district’s networks each year.
The organisation is also proceeding with the installation of 72,000 smart water meters, of which 1,836 are already operational.
Four new reservoirs have also been constructed, increasing water supply reserves in certain areas of Nicosia from 36 to 44 hours, allowing additional time for repairs when supply is interrupted.
Yiorkadjis also announced progress on efforts to recover treated wastewater from the Mia Milia treatment plant in the occupied north.
He said “contractors were currently working inside the buffer zone, beneath Turkish military observation posts, to repair a sewage pipeline that collapsed approximately 18 months ago and install a return pipeline”.
EOA increasing services in other sectors
The district operates three wastewater treatment plants producing nearly 50,000 cubic metres of treated water daily for irrigation, but only around 24 per cent is currently utilised.
“With the establishment of the EOA, we sought and succeeded in securing the return of part of the water produced at the Mia Milia plant,” he said, describing the development as a major benefit for district residents.
Addressing flooding problems, Yiorkadjis said the organisation now had unified responsibility for planning and implementing flood prevention measures across the district.
An additional charge of 0.05 per thousand on sewerage bills is expected to generate between €2 million and €2.5 million annually, which will be invested in flood prevention infrastructure.
“These funds will be used every year to repair and construct flood protection projects,” he said.
Work has already begun on repairing the enclosed Kotsirkas river channel, while projects in the Apoel area are planned for next year, followed by interventions in Engomi after the completion of relevant studies.
Yiorkadjis said the organisation was now issuing more building permits than the number of new applications received, following the consolidation of 12 separate licensing authorities.
Before July 2024, permits were being issued at a rate equivalent to approximately 70 per cent of incoming applications, resulting in a backlog of more than 12,000 cases.
The current rate has reached approximately 130 per cent, which he said would gradually reduce outstanding applications and accelerate the licensing process.
Between July 1, 2024 and September 30, 2026, the organisation issued 31,242 permits, including 1,479 in September alone.
The EOA has also begun inspecting approximately 1,400 potentially dangerous buildings across the district, supported by a dedicated team and a publicly accessible website updated daily.
Yiorkadjis said the organisation had inherited responsibility for dangerous buildings without an established administrative structure or budget.
The district authority currently manages eight green points and is planning another five. Operating hours have been extended, while additional categories of materials are now accepted to meet the needs of agricultural communities.
Five citizen service centres will operate across the district, including offices in Athalassa, Alambra, Evrychou, Palaichori and Kato Pyrgos.