Oudi announces water cut-off for Chrysochous due to unpaid bills

Residents of the village of Chrysochous in Paphos District may be left without running water starting Friday, October 2nd. The Goudi Community Council has announced an indefinite suspension of water supply due to unpaid bills.

The dispute does not concern individual residents' bills, but rather the obligations of the former Chrysochous community, which became part of the Polis Chrysochous commune following local government reform. Supplies will only be resumed once the debt is settled.

Water cut-off announced for October 2

The Goudi Community Council has announced that it intends to close the water supply to the neighbouring village of Chrysochous on Friday, October 2nd.

The cut-off is to remain in effect indefinitely – until the outstanding payments are settled.

In a statement, the Goudi authorities emphasized that they had repeatedly attempted to resolve the matter without suspending supplies. They claimed that the Polis Chrysochous municipality had previously received invoices, receipts, and other documentation regarding the services provided.

Despite the ongoing talks, the parties were unable to reach an agreement.

The debt concerns water and waste collection

According to Goudi authorities, the arrears include water supply and waste collection services that fell to the former community of Chrysochous.

The documents include receivables incurred until June 30, 2024. However, they did not specify the total amount of debt or the number of households that may be affected by the supply interruption.

The Goudi council claims it has exhausted all available options to resolve the issue and has no other option but to cut off supplies. However, this is only the position of one side of the dispute.

As of press time, no official response has been provided from the Polis Chrysochous municipality. It is therefore unclear whether the local government will acknowledge the entire debt or whether an agreement will be reached before October 2nd.

It's not about residents' arrears

The announcement may be cause for concern, but it does not mean that Chrysochous residents have not paid their individual water bills.

The dispute concerns settlements between local governments. Following administrative reform, the former community of Chrysochous was incorporated into the new municipality of Polis Chrysochous, while some services were previously provided through infrastructure belonging to Goudi.

It is the outstanding debts for these services that have become the cause of the current conflict.

The cut-off is not intended to cover the entire commune

It is important to distinguish between the city of Polis Chrysochous and the village of Chrysochous, to which the announcement applies.

The Goudi announcement does not mean that water supplies will be cut off to all of Polis, Latchi, or all the villages within the new municipality. It applies to the network leading to the community of Chrysochous.

No schedule for potential replacement deliveries or information about tankers has yet been published. It is also unclear whether state institutions responsible for water management or local administration will be involved in resolving the conflict.

Residents of Chrysochous should monitor local government announcements. If no agreement is announced by October 2nd, it may be prudent to stockpile a small supply of drinking water and basic necessities in advance. However, there is no need to stockpile excessive amounts.

Residents will suffer the consequences of the local government dispute

The announcement of the suspension of basic services due to a conflict between local governments places residents in a particularly difficult situation. They are not directly involved in the settlement, but their households may feel the consequences of the lack of agreement.

There are still a few days left until October 2nd. It is still possible to settle the debt, reach a temporary agreement, or make a decision to maintain supplies until the dispute is finally resolved.

The matter requires further monitoring. The position of the Polis Chrysochous municipality and information on whether the announced water cutoff will actually take place will be crucial.

Sources: Philenews, Pafos Live