Newsroom
The sewage bill has arrived. The sewerage system has not.
Residents in Polis Chrysochous are challenging higher charges for a project whose construction is now expected to begin in 2027, leaving property owners paying more before work gets underway.
One resident reported receiving a €502.04 bill for 2026, up from €143.44 last year, an extra €358.60, or approximately 250%.
For residents, the complaint is straightforward: Why has the charge jumped when the service is still unavailable?
Paphos district local government organization President Charalambos Pittokopitis told the Cyprus News Agency that the charge follows a government decision made under the previous administration, when the sewerage project was approved.
That decision also established the fees payable by owners of properties within the area the system would serve.
The higher charge took effect this year because construction had originally been scheduled to begin toward the end of 2026. Work has since been pushed back to 2027.
Pittokopitis said the government decision provides for a charge of €7 per €1,000 of assessed property value. He also said the money would be transferred to the Water Development Department rather than retained by the district organization.
His explanation sets out the basis for collecting the money ahead of the system’s operation. It does little, however, to ease the immediate burden on households facing a substantially larger bill while construction remains on hold.
The dispute now centers on the timing: The higher charges have started, but residents must wait longer for the project they are being asked to help fund.
