The Paphos local government organisation (EOA) raised ongoing challenges over water supply and licensing during a meeting on Wednesday with Edek party president Nikos Anastasiou.

EOA Paphos president Charalambos Pittokopitis said he outlined the particular difficulties the district faces. He noted that, unlike other regions, Paphos had no central water supply council in the past. Instead, each community and municipality acted as its own authority.

According to Pittokopitis, these local authorities collected significant revenue from water services but did not invest in infrastructure. As a result, Paphos inherited an ageing network with limited storage capacity and outdated facilities. The district body now has responsibility to upgrade these systems.

Licensing was another area of concern. Pittokopitis explained that EOA Paphos had received hundreds, possibly thousands, of pending cases from town planning offices, municipalities and the district administration. Staffing shortages have delayed progress, but he said full staffing is expected by October.

Pittokopitis welcomed Anastasiou’s visit and thanked Edek for its consistent support in parliament and beyond. He expressed confidence this backing would continue, noting that Anastasiou had promised to convey their difficulties to both the government and parliament.

Anastasiou, after the meeting, confirmed he had been briefed on problems linked to the recent reform of local government. He said new building permits were now being processed more smoothly but acknowledged long delays with older cases.

He pointed out that two municipalities have yet to deliver their files to EOA Paphos, which complicates licensing further. He also underlined that understaffing remains an issue, but the most serious concern is the city’s ageing water network.

Anastasiou said Paphos still relies on only four storage tanks, which do not meet demand. In the event of a disruption, he warned, water supplies would last just four hours. He stressed the need for new reservoirs and wider network upgrades.

He argued that the state must help cover these costs, especially for sewerage and water supply projects, rather than leaving the burden to EOA Paphos and local residents. He pledged to use his party’s influence to push for state support and to prevent the costs being passed on to citizens.

After his talks at EOA Paphos, Anastasiou also met Akamas mayor Marinos Lambrou at the town hall in Peyia.