Water Treatment at Kouka © Richard Sale, 2009, All Rights Reserved

Domestic Waste Water Treatment

The case for subsidising domestic waste water treatment in the rural areas of Cyprus

Water Treatment at Kouka © Richard Sale, 2009, All Rights Reserved

Case Study A new build @300 m2 in Kouka village, one of the Mountain Villages

Permanent inhabitants 2 adults

Domestic water usage:

• 2 x showers• 3 x WCs• 4 x washbasins• Kitchen sink• Dishwasher• Washing machine• 150L Solar panel with hot water recirculation pump (subsidy

available)

Sewage disposal in village normally by septic tank & soakaway

Water Treatment at Kouka © Richard Sale, 2009, All Rights Reserved

Domestic Waste Water Treatment

Waste pumpedup from holdingtank into bio &filtration unit

Air blowers for waste holding tank and bio tank

Control unit

Biological &filtration tank

Treated waterdischarge toholding tank

Overflow &backwashreturn to wasteholding tank

Waste water holding tank

Clean water holding tank

Water Treatment at Kouka © Richard Sale, 2009, All Rights Reserved

Water Standards

Cyprus Environmental Standards Cooked

Vegetables Category

Public Access

Busse system Kouka

10 BOD5 mg/l 10 4

10 SS mg/l 10 <1.3

?? COD ?? 18

10 EColi per 100ml 5 0

0 Worm Eggs 0 0

?? NH4-N mg/l ?? 0.24

Water Treatment at Kouka © Richard Sale, 2009, All Rights Reserved

The Financial Equation

CuM €Domestic water monthly 5.5Domestic water annually 66.0Cost 45 CuM @ 0.15 € 6.75Cost 21 CuM @ 0.20 € 4.20Domestic water annual cost € 10.95

Recycling rate 100% 66.0Annual cost saving @ 0,20 € 13.20

Busse installation € 10,000Government subsidy € 0Net Cost € 10,000

Pay Back period in years 758

Water Treatment at Kouka © Richard Sale, 2009, All Rights Reserved

Consequences Without a subsidy there is no encouragement to install full domestic

waste water treatment

This leads to continued pollution of ground water

People continue to use precious domestic water for non-domestic purposes, e.g. garden, car washing, patio washing etc.

To obtain free water, people sink additional boreholes, lowering the water table for all (subsidies are still offered for these)

Applications for full domestic waste water treatment subsidies are turned down on the grounds that these systems require expert installation and maintenance - why not licence and inspect?

Water Treatment at Kouka © Richard Sale, 2009, All Rights Reserved

Questions?

richard.sale@cytanet.com.cy

+357 25434165

PO Box 1

4743 Kouka

http://www.kouka.com.cy