21.05.2022
Strangely enough, enough water affects the demand and prices of real estate, especially from foreigners who have a choice of country and still decide to move to Cyprus.
Until recently, this market was around 2 billion euros per year and employed thousands of people working as professionals and artisans, a trend that has been increasing in recent years, mainly due to foreign interest.
The recent outcry of foreign residents in the village of Tala in Paphos and the warnings of various tour operators about water point to a problem not so much due to lack of water, but due to the impact on the property market.
We’ve seen rainfall, along with existing desalination plants, alleviate water shortages, while there is growing interest in using dams for sports, picnics and outdoor activities.
From the point of view of some political parties and even parliament on the issue of desalination, it is that no one is to blame for the lack of planning or the high cost of the contract and that only God is to blame for the fact that it did not rain! What is needed is a solution to the problem.
With experience in construction, we believe the following measures will help as water scarcity in this part of the world is growing and needs to be better managed.
Here are some tips:
Before obtaining a building permit, each new building must submit a water saving plan, such as water reuse, new technologies, etc. Since energy saving is foreseen, water saving requirements must be foreseen.
Prohibit the introduction and use of toilets with only one shutoff valve. Allow only dual-flush toilets to be used, saving thousands of tons of water, especially when used in an office.
All pools must be closed during off hours. For example, a small pool 4 m x 8 m deep 1.50 m contains 48 cm with water evaporation on average reaching 50% every 12 months. With thousands of swimming pools in Cyprus, you can imagine the economic and energy savings.
Implement a price increase policy after 1 ton of water per day per household or a maximum consumption of 30 tons per month for four people. After that, increase the charge to double. Drilling a well for water should now be mandatory for plots larger than 1000 sq.m.
During the construction phase of buildings, slab spraying should not be done with potable water or used for concrete preparation, but with water from wells, from cisterns or, as the old builders did, by storing reused water in barrels.
Research the different types of washers, dishwashers, and dryers and rule out those that use more water than indicated.
As far as golf courses are concerned, I am in favor of the creation of desalination by the state, for which entrepreneurs must pay. Whatever one thinks of these projects, this measure is necessary as they help the Cypriot economy. Also, wastewater treatment and reuse is common on overseas golf courses, so why not here?
Appoint some kind of “private supervision” of water use, where inspectors of local authorities check the strict implementation of the water consumption policy (washing sidewalks, cars, terraces). But under the current system, it is impossible to control even a small percentage of households.
Water scarcity is one of the biggest problems in Cyprus and in theory we are sure everyone agrees, but can it be put into practice?
Ecologists say they were justified (because they were against desalination); the previous government says it was justified because it promoted the desalination work and Parliament did not approve it.
I’m sure Parliament will tell us that it was justified because it carried out the choice of its constituents.
On the contrary, for one of our projects in Crete (Heraklion), we proposed to build a small desalination plant with a capacity of 500 tons per day.
The local mayor said: “We will provide you with coastal municipal land for free for the project and offer 500 tons for your own needs; we expect 200 tons of water per day for the needs of the municipality.” The contract has already been transferred to the Cypriot company.
We are seen as benefactors of the area (unlike the Larnaca City Council ten years ago who sued the government for building a desalination plant).
As an alternative, I hear theories about replacing water pipes (the cost is huge, and the deadline for completion is 5-8 years) when there is a need today.
Antonis Luazou – real estate appraiser, real estate agent and real estate consultant
