Sewerage

After the completion of sewerage works on public roads and their delivery to the EOA Lemesos, notifications for connection to the public sewerage system are issued, as explained below:

Every owner or occupant of premises used for human habitation, professional practice, trade, business, employment, recreation, or other purposes, and located on the streets or in the areas listed in tables published in the Official Gazette and other newspapers in the form of notifications, is required, within the timeframe specified in the notification, to construct, at their own expense and in accordance with the permit issued by the Organisation, a private building sewer. This private sewer may only be connected to the public building sewer after obtaining a written consent from the Organisation (Green Card).

Following the issuance of the written consent by the Organisation in accordance with the Regulations, the said owner or occupant must discharge all sewage, water, industrial wastewater, or other waste from the premises into the public building sewer and properly fill any septic tanks, soak pits, and similar private sewage disposal facilities with appropriate materials in a manner satisfactory to the Board.

To ensure the System's efficient operation, the use of a garbage disposal unit in kitchens and the disposal of certain substances, solids, etc., are prohibited.

Click here to view the list of prohibited items for disposal in the System.

Application for Connection

1. Every application for issuing a permit to construct, reconstruct, or carry out modifications, additions, or repairs to a building drain, private building sewer, or private sewage disposal system, or for the installation of sanitary facilities and fixtures, must be submitted to the Board in duplicate. This application must be signed by the owner or occupant of the premises or by an authorised representative and submitted in the form prescribed by the Board from time to time.
2. The following documents must accompany every application:

• The property registration certificate, if the applicant is the owner of the premises; or the contract indicating the applicant's right of occupancy, if the applicant is the occupant.
• A site plan in duplicate, designed or reproduced in a clear and comprehensible manner on suitable and durable material, with a scale of at least 1:100, showing:
• The location, depth, slope, shape, layout, dimensions, type, method, and construction materials of the sanitary facilities, building drain, private building sewer, inspection chamber, or private sewage disposal system, and the number of fixtures intended to be connected to the building drain.
• Any other information required by the Board.
• A topographic plan in duplicate at the largest available government cadastral map scale, indicating, as applicable:
• The boundaries of the building parcel and the premises located or to be constructed on it.
• The location of the building drain, inspection chambers, and private building sewer.
• If a private sewage disposal system is involved, its location must be mentioned.
• The parcel area and the area covered by existing or planned buildings in square metres.
• A building permit issued by the competent authority for the existing or planned construction.
• An explanatory chart specifying the number and layout of mezzanine floors, storeys, and basements and elevation differences in relation to street pavement levels or road regrading, aligned with the elevation data approved by the Board.
• A declaration stating whether the private building sewer will be used to discharge domestic sewage or industrial wastewater into the public sewer. If industrial wastewater is to be discharged, the applicant must provide additional details on volume, discharge fluctuations, characteristics, and sources of the wastewater.

3. The permit holder must submit or ensure the submission of written notice to the Board’s office at least ten (10) working days before commencing any construction work.
4. The Inspector may inspect the project at any stage of construction of the sewer. The permit holder must notify the Inspector before covering any underground sections and may not proceed with covering until an inspection has been conducted and written approval from the Board has been obtained. The inspection will be conducted during reasonable daytime hours, and approval or rejection must be issued within six (6) working days of receiving the relevant notice.
5. After completing the building drain and private sewer, the permit holder must inform the Board that they are ready for connection to the public sewer. They may only proceed with the Connection upon receipt of written approval from the Board.
6. During construction or reconstruction, the owner or occupant must take all necessary measures to ensure the safe and unobstructed use of the road by the public and to protect neighbours from any resulting damage or nuisance.
7. The permit holder must remove all construction debris from the premises, adjacent land, roads, or surrounding areas immediately after completing the aforementioned works.
8. When granting a permit under these Regulations, the Board may require the permit holder to deposit an amount deemed necessary for repairing or restoring any damage to public roads or other Board assets resulting from the works to be carried out by the permit holder. Any unused portion of this deposit will be refunded to the permit holder.
9. In urgent cases requiring partial or complete reconstruction or modification of a building drain, private sewer, or inspection chamber, the owner or occupant may send immediate written notification to the Board and proceed with the work before receiving written approval, subject to the Board’s conditions. The required application must be submitted within fifteen (15) days from the commencement of the work.
10. Nothing in these Regulations requires submitting plans or topographical surveys for repairs or maintenance that do not involve modifications or reconstruction of sanitary installations, building drains, private sewers, or inspection chambers.
11. Permits remain valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance. If the work is not completed within this period, the permit may be renewed, provided compliance with current Regulations, by paying the prescribed initial permit fee or €20, whichever is lower. A renewed permit will be valid for two (2) years from the date of renewal.
12. For permits issued by the Board under the provisions of these Regulations, and regarding any matters therein, a 2% fee of the estimated project cost (including fixtures and fittings attached to the building drain, inspection chambers, and private sewer) will be charged.

The minimum fee payable for any permit under these Regulations is €50, to be paid upon the submission of the application.

Click below to submit the required documents:

Application for Construction Permit
Application for Additional Connection

1. Grease traps are mandatory for the kitchen drainage systems of restaurants, pastry shops, bakeries, and similar establishments.
2. They must be installed in an accessible location for cleaning and inspection purposes.
3. Grease traps must be watertight and resistant to corrosion. The Board will inspect them before issuing the Green Card.
4. The construction and maintenance of grease traps are the responsibility of the property owner or occupant, and all costs must be covered by them.
5. The discharge of wastewater from toilets, urinals, bathrooms, rainwater, inorganic oils (e.g., engine oil), or any other waste, except for kitchen drainage, into the grease trap is strictly prohibited.
6. Grease traps must be ventilated.
7. Pipes leading to and from the grease trap must have a minimum slope of 2%.
8. They must be of a type and capacity approved by the Board, and must always remain in continuous and satisfactory operation in accordance with the approved plans and operational methods that comply with sound engineering practices.
9. Cleaning (emptying, rinsing, and refilling with clean water) must be performed every 14 days or, at the latest, once a month, depending on usage, to ensure adequate retention capacity for grease and solids.
10. Their dimensions and general usage must comply with the CYS-EN 1825-2:2002 and CYS-EN 1825-1:2004 standards.

Construction and Operation of the Retention Trap – Grease Trap

The business’s retention trap (grease trap) must consist of two separate compartments (as specified in the Construction Permit issued by the SBLA).

• In the first compartment, suspended solids that may escape from the kitchen settle at the bottom.
• In the second compartment, greasy substances are separated as they rise to the top and accumulate on the surface.

Wastewater exits through the lower part of a vertical pipe located at the outlet of the second compartment of the grease trap and is discharged into the public sewer system.

Key Steps for Cleaning the Grease Trap

1. A vacuum truck must empty both compartments of the grease trap.
2. After emptying, the walls of the grease trap must be scraped with a scraper to remove any solidified fats adhered to the surfaces of both compartments.
3. Solidified fats and other solid residues must be removed and vacuumed out by the truck (disposal into the public sewer system is strictly prohibited).
4. After cleaning the contents and walls, the grease trap must be refilled with water up to the lower part of the vertical pipe located in the second compartment.
5. The cleaning frequency must be determined by the business owner/operator based on the quantity and quality of the wastewater. It is recommended that cleaning be performed at least once or twice a month.

1. The layout and sectional view of the pumping station must be clearly illustrated, including its dimensions, all technical and construction details, and its method of operation.
2. A document indicating the technical specifications of the pumps must be provided.
3. If only one pump is installed (e.g., in single-family homes or duplexes), the volume of the pumping station below the inlet pipe must be at least equal to the daily flow rate.
4. The pumping station must be designed and constructed to withstand loads (reinforced with iron), prevent groundwater intrusion, and be watertight (subject to inspection by the Board before issuing the Green Card).
5. The maximum retention time of wastewater in the pumping station must not exceed 30 minutes.
6. A one-way valve (check valve) must be installed at the pumping station's outlet, positioned inside the station in an area accessible for inspection.
7. The pump must be designed for easy installation and removal, allowing for its extraction without requiring human entry into the pumping station.
8. The pump must allow for the free passage of solids of at least 30mm in size.
9. The pumping station must have a ventilation system via a ventilation pipe.
10. An alarm system must be installed, featuring a bell or indicator light to signal pump failures or high wastewater levels.
11. Electrical Control Panel Installation, including the following features:
    • Main switch
    • Pump operation alternation system in the case of a backup pump (time switch)
    • Selector switch (Hand-Off-Auto) for each pump
    • A float switch connected to the alarm system, which must trigger a red indicator light or a bell
12. The control panel and electrical installation must be inspected by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC).
13. The pumping station must comply with the following standards:
    • CYS EN 12050-1:2001
    • CYS EN 12050-3:2001
    • CYS EN 12050-4:2001
    • CYS EN 12056-4:2000

Alongside every application submitted to the competent authority for a building permit, a permit for road opening or construction, or land subdivision for building purposes concerning a property within the Board’s area, an application for a permit to construct the sewerage systems must also be submitted, using the form prescribed by the Organisation at the time.

The application must be submitted in duplicate, accompanied by the following documents:

• Subdivision plans on the cadastral survey plan.
• Subdivision layout plans on a 1:1000 scale, indicating the proposed sewerage network (in hard copy and electronic format).
• Detail drawings of pipelines and manholes.
• Longitudinal sections of the subdivision roads.
• Town planning permit or subdivision permit (copy).
• Title deeds of the properties forming the subdivision.
• Stormwater drainage plan, if applicable.

The owner must appoint a supervising engineer to oversee the works.

These Regulations apply irrespective of whether the primary sewerage infrastructure and public sewers have already been installed in the area or not.