Opens in a new tab

Breaking news

Strategic Water Conservation In Cypriot Hospitality And Industry

Robust Policy Measures Assure Continued Supply

The director of the Water Development Department, Eliana Tofa Christidou, confirmed that no water supply interruptions are planned for hotels or industrial facilities, either in Limassol or across Cyprus. In an interview with Entrepreneurial Limassol, a periodical published by the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Christidou outlined the department’s strategic focus on water conservation, with particular attention to the hospitality sector.

Innovative Practices In Hospitality

Under the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, initiatives are underway to promote water-saving practices in hotels. The Water Development Department is working with hotel associations and large tourism businesses to encourage the installation of aerators, the reuse of greywater systems, and the reduction of unnecessary outdoor washing. Christidou stressed that hotels play a crucial role in lowering overall water consumption, especially during the summer peak season. Visitor awareness campaigns are also being introduced to encourage responsible water use.

Targeted Guidelines For Industrial Facilities

Under the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, initiatives are underway to promote water-saving practices in hotels. The Water Development Department is working with hotel associations and large tourism businesses to encourage the installation of aerators, the reuse of greywater systems, and the reduction of unnecessary outdoor washing. Christidou stressed that hotels play a crucial role in lowering overall water consumption, especially during the summer peak season. Visitor awareness campaigns are also being introduced to encourage responsible water use.

Innovative Projects And Future Prospects

The Water Development Department is also examining the feasibility of small desalination units for hotels. The concept is still under technical and environmental evaluation, including permit requirements, but interest from the hospitality industry is growing, particularly among hotels that experience sharp seasonal demand. A dedicated briefing for hoteliers on potential benefits and implementation steps is planned for February.

Expanded Reuse And Regional Advantages

Limassol currently benefits from a stable reclaimed water supply sourced from the Moni and Western Limassol treatment plants, which provide approximately 12 to 13 million cubic metres annually for irrigation. Planned infrastructure upgrades, including the Kourion sewerage system and an additional wastewater treatment facility, are expected to further increase available volumes. Although these quantities do not fully cover agricultural irrigation needs, they place Limassol in a stronger position compared to other districts.

Adaptation In Response To Climatic Shifts

With prolonged drought conditions and mounting pressure on groundwater reserves, authorities are reassessing traditional water sources. Christidou observed that many mountainous communities historically relied on wells once considered inexhaustible, but changing climate patterns are forcing a transition toward more secure and sustainable solutions to support long-term agricultural productivity.

This combined approach of infrastructure investment, technological innovation, and targeted regulation highlights Cyprus’s broader effort to protect its water resources while maintaining economic stability.

Google Cloud Outage Disrupts Banking And Digital Services Across The UK

A power outage at a Google Cloud data centre near London disrupted services across the UK on Tuesday, affecting banks, businesses and other digital platforms. Google said the incident was caused by a power event at its cloud operations, with full recovery expected by around 1300 GMT.

The disruption began at 0608 GMT and affected Google Cloud services in the europe-west2 region, which is hosted in London. In an initial update, the company reported elevated error rates and intermittent network failures across multiple services as engineers worked to restore operations.

Banking Services Hit By The Disruption

Revolut was among the most visibly affected companies, with customers reporting problems with ATM withdrawals, bank transfers and card top-ups. A source close to the matter linked the issues to the Google Cloud outage.

Traditional banks also reported disruptions. Lloyds said some customers were experiencing problems with its app and online banking, while HSBC confirmed difficulties accessing its services. HSBC added that it was monitoring the situation and noted that other organisations were affected as well.

Disruption Spreads Beyond Finance

Downdetector, which tracks online service disruptions, recorded hundreds of reports involving other businesses, including property website Rightmove and the Royal Mail postal service. The reports suggested that the outage was affecting multiple parts of the UK’s digital economy.

The incident highlights the risks facing businesses that depend on shared cloud infrastructure. Even a temporary failure at a single provider can disrupt services across several sectors, from banking and payments to logistics and consumer platforms.

Companies Reassure Customers

Revolut said it had been working to resolve the issue since it was identified and apologised to affected customers. The company also confirmed that customers’ money and data remained safe.

As cloud platforms underpin an increasing share of digital commerce, the outage illustrates how disruptions to critical infrastructure can spread far beyond the provider itself, affecting businesses and customers across the economy.

eCredo
The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties
Uol
Aretilaw firm

Become a Speaker

Become a Speaker

Become a Partner

Subscribe for our weekly newsletter