A small Paphos village with its handful of residents have had their water cut for a month, using buckets to transport water, according to complaints from locals.

The four families permanently residing in Prastio have had their water cut as the community council can not afford the €12,000 water and electricity bill.

“You ask how we’re managing without running water for a month – well are we managing? I run a small café-restaurant but I’m old and can’t carry water, so it’s closed now,” Chrystalla Photiou, a local resident, told Alphanews.

Residents have been forced to collect and transport water from neighbouring villages, some of which have offered to assist by sending over tankers.

“That’s not a solution,” she said, explaining that the main issue is that of electricity prices.

“The bill has to be struck off, we simply can’t pay it – I don’t know what will happen,” she added.

The community has communicated with the relevant authorities to try and resolve the issue, but the cut remains.

It’s understood that the bill is centred on the electricity and water used for agricultural purposes but that the water has been cut from local homes – with Photiou saying the waterboard should at least allow the residents to fill their tanks at home.