Cyprus is prepared to face drought emergency

The decades of no rain and drought, Cyprus had been through in the past, led the Water Development Department (WDD) to create the necessary infrastructure and make plans, in order to be able to deal "with confidence" a similar event, Director of WDD, Panayiota Hadjigeorgiou told CNA.

Asked about the current levels of dams, Hadjigeorgiou stated that from the beginning of the hydrological year, on October 1st, 2021, until August 2022, the inflow of water into the dams amounted to 153.74 million cubic meters of water, which ranks the current year as "the third best of the decade".

She added that the current amount of water stored in dams stands at 224.635 million cubic meters, which means that they are around 77.2% full, up from 59.4% in the previous year. The amount of water stored in the dams and the alternative water sources that Cyprus has, for drinking water (through desalination) and for irrigation (using recycled water) reserves can last up to two years, she added.

Compared to other European countries experiencing unprecedented drought conditions - for which they are not ready, as they do not have the systems developed by Cyprus - the WDD Director says she feels confident that the country can face such phenomena successfully.

Asked if the Strategic Plan, developed by the WDD and approved in 2019 by the Cabinet, includes interruptions in the supply of water in the event of extreme drought, Hadjigeorgiou replied that no such thing is envisaged, although she emphasized the need to strengthen water consciousness to save water and limit unnecessary use. Reiterating that the government's policy after the 2008 crisis, when water was transferred from Greece, is to meet 100% of drinking water needs.

In regards to the quality of the drinking water provided, she said that it meets the standards of European legislation which has been incorporated into national law. The water is checked by the state health services and the State General Laboratory, as well as by local accredited laboratories. She assured that consumers can safely consume the potable water provided.