Desalination units being installed in Limassol will be up and running with a delay of three weeks, Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou was informed on Wednesday, during a visit to Moni power plant.

The units, which arrived as a gift from the United Arab Emirates, are being set up at Moni – where the necessary infrastructure is already in place – to serve the needs of Limassol.

Deputy director of the Water Development Department Giorgos Kazantzis said installation works were continuing intensively, however problems are delaying operation.

“The effort was to wrap up the installation by the end of June or early July, however we are a little behind schedule,” Kazantzis said.

He explained that it was “a very complicated project” and that there were many issues arising on a daily basis.

“The units are new, so several problems emerge during inspection, which must be addressed,” he added.

The authorities, Kazantzis said, were in constant communication with the manufacturer in the UAE.

“All problems are being solved. There is just a short delay, which we are trying to address by activating additional boreholes at the Kourris delta and Yermasoyia, in order to cover the gap that may appear in delivering water,” Kazantzis said.

Replying to questions on site, Kazantzis said “we believe it is feasible to start delivering water on July 22” from the desalination units.

However, this depended on the delivery of materials, which was out of the control of the department, he said, adding that the crews were working non-stop to deliver water as soon as possible.

The agriculture minister did not make any statements during the visit.