Nicosia, Cyprus. More than 70,000 smart water meters are set to be installed in the Nicosia district by the end of the year after an agreement was signed on Wednesday by the district government and the Cyprus telecommunications authority (Cyta).
Agreement, cost and EU co-financing
In total, 72,000 meters will be installed at a cost of €6.5 million, with the project being co-financed by the European Union through the ‘Thaleia 2021-2027’ cohesion policy programme.
Delivery schedule
The first meters are due to be delivered in August, with deliveries to be completed in eight batches of 9,000 by the end of the year.
Priority areas for installation
The district government said priority will be given to the suburbs of Lakatamia and Strovolos, to central Nicosia, and to villages including Lythrodontas and areas in the south of the district. It added that the village of Kato Pyrgos has been included in the plans, citing its remote location as making remote information gathering particularly important.
Monitoring and leak detection
The smart meters will be connected to a mobile application, allowing residents to monitor their water consumption in real time.
District governor Constantinos Yiorkadjis said the meters will be able to remotely record water consumption daily, compared with current bimonthly meter checks. He said the technology will help the public and authorities detect leaking pipes earlier and respond to leaks or accidental overconsumption in real time.
Yiorkadjis also said an initial installation of smart water meters in Nicosia’s old town two years ago had been successful, with 1,800 cubic metres of water, or 3.8 million pints, being saved every fortnight through early leak detection alone.
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