Paphos residents have lodged complaints over increased water bills, prompting the intervention of Paphos district governor Charalambos Pittokopitis on Tuesday.

Pittokopitis urged consumers who believe their bills are excessively high to contact the district government’s central offices or local citizen service centres to seek clarifications and submit objections.

He said such complaints are examined immediately by the authority.

In many cases higher consumption is caused by water leaks located underground or in yards, which often go unnoticed, Pittokopitis said, which leads to significant water loss and, consequently, increased bills.

In such instances, Pittokopitis said, district government technicians visit the site and work with consumers’ private plumbers to help identify the problem.

If overconsumption is found to be due to damage to the private network, the water meter to the home or premises, a special framework is applied allowing for payment at a reduced cost, covering at least the organisation’s expenses.