In Larnaca, the sewer system will be upgraded for €1.2 million: what will change?

The Larnaca District Administration (EOA) and the Water Development Department have launched a three-year infrastructure project worth €1.2 million (excluding VAT). The work aims to carry out a major overhaul and upgrade of the inspection chambers (manholes), built in the 1990s as part of Phase A of the city’s wastewater treatment system. The project is fully financed by the Water Development Department.

Technical scope and schedule:
The project is set to run for 36 months and is divided into two key stages:
— The first 14 months: full replacement of 18 inspection chambers that have completely lost their watertightness (most of them are located in the area of the former oil refinery).
— The remaining 22 months: preventive maintenance, waterproofing and repair of another 55 chambers across the city’s sewer network.

Reasons for the upgrade and the environmental factor:
The main engineering problem in Larnaca’s old network is the infiltration of brackish groundwater into the system. Due to the region’s specific coastal geography, underground waters here have an elevated salinity level. When this water enters the main sewer system, it leads to serious costs:
— Excess load. Saline water overloads pumping stations and increases the overall volume of liquid reaching treatment plants.
— Lower quality of the treated water. In the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and in Southern Cyprus, treated wastewater (reclaimed water) is actively reused — about 70% goes to farmers for irrigating forage crops, while 30% is used for urban greenery. Increased salinity caused by groundwater sharply reduces the quality of this technical water and limits its use for sensitive plant species.
— Rising costs. A high concentration of salts requires more complex and expensive chemical and technological treatment at the wastewater treatment plant.

Sealing the underground chambers will make it possible to significantly extend the service life of the entire city infrastructure, reduce the operating costs of the Larnaca treatment plant and improve the quality of recycled water for agricultural needs.