EOA Larnaca has rejected suggestions that delays in the third phase of the Larnaca-Dhekelia road reconstruction are the result of additional action by the organisation due to water shortages.
In a statement, the local district self-government organisation said it wanted to prevent “wrong impressions” and clarify the facts regarding the area’s water supply network.
EOA Larnaca said that before the project tender was launched, the Larnaca Water Board, now part of EOA Larnaca, had prepared a study on the water supply network. The study was included in the tender documents and covered the sections of the network within the project boundaries that required replacement or modification.
According to the organisation, during the execution of the works, the Public Works Department requested additional relocations of existing water pipes, mainly because other services, such as the Electricity Authority of Cyprus, installed infrastructure where EOA Larnaca pipes were located. These works, it said, had not been included in the original project design.
EOA Larnaca said the installation of new water supply infrastructure or the replacement of existing pipes is a contractual obligation of the project contractor, using materials supplied by the organisation.
Contractor responsible for works
The organisation said its role has been supportive, providing technical guidance, supervision and assistance where required.
It added that, to help the project move forward, it also carried out certain works itself, including pipe relocations arising from the project and the installation and operation of temporary water supplies.
“From the beginning of its involvement, EOA Larnaca staff have been and remain at the disposal of the contractor and the competent authorities, providing continuous technical support and cooperation, with the aim of facilitating the works and limiting any impact,” the statement said.
EOA Larnaca said delays connected to the water supply network are mainly due to the contractor’s inadequate initial estimate of the time needed to design and implement temporary water supplies, as well as additional pipe relocations requested during the works that were not part of the original design.