THIS year has been the second driest in 19 years, the Water Development Department (WDD) said yesterday, warning that if the island sees a second winter of drought next winter, households could see a return to dreaded water cuts.
Approaching mid-May, the WDD estimates there will be no further water flow into the island’s dams until the summer is over.
The recent heavy rain made little difference to the situation, as it fell in the wrong parts of Cyprus, nowhere near the island’s dams.
In fact, there was no rain in the mountain areas.
“It is the second worst year, in terms of water flow, for the past 19 years,” Phedros Rousis, senior official at the WDD, said yesterday.
The worst year for Cyprus was 1991, when the flow into the dams was a mere 11 million cubic metres. This year, the flow has reached just 23 million cubic metres.
Today, there are 129.7 million cubic metres of water in the dams, 47.4 per cent of capacity, said Rousis. This time last year, there were 208 million cubic metres, 76 per cent of capacity.
Farmers have been warned in writing that they will receive just 20 per cent of their normal water allocation this year for seasonal crops, he said, while supply for orchards would be halved.
Water supply for the public, however, will not be affected, said Rousis. “Water supply for the public will be given 100 per cent. We also have an added 26 million cubic metres of water from the desalination systems.”
But he did warn that things may not be so easy next year, if the problem persisted.
“If the shortage continues throughout the following year, however, then the water supply will have to be reduced”.
Rousis said the government was now providing incentives to residents of built-up areas to drill boreholes and install systems that recycle water.
“Water extracted from the boreholes can be used for watering gardens,” he explained. “And by installing a system, the water discarded from bath tubs and sinks and other such sources, can be recycled and again used in garden watering as well as lavatories.”
This would contribute considerably to saving on drinking water, said Rousis.
In April, the Cabinet approved a 50 per cent increase in government funding for the drilling of boreholes and recycling of semi-clean water for built-up areas.
More specifically, state subsidies to drill a borehole for watering gardens increased from £200 to £300.
To connect the borehole with toilets, funding increased from £200 to £300. And to install a system for recycling semi-clean water, funding increased from £400 to £600.
The aim of the subsidies is to encourage consumers to use non potable waters for watering gardens and use in lavatories, in order to save drinking water.
“The adjustment of these ways of saving water is a necessary and beneficial way to deal with the scarcity of water, which remains a continuous problem for our island due to lack of rain, overuse of water, increase of population and so on,” said Rousis.
“Water saved by one person can be given to another in need.”
He said this would economise on drinking water, whose cost is continuously rising.
“The use of marginal waters in populated areas creates a pioneering way of saving water internationally.”
With boreholes and the recycling of semi-clean water, around 35-50 per cent of drinking water can be saved.
n For more information or application forms from the Water Development Department call 22-803100 or visit www.moa.gov.cy/wdd
