MUD MIGHT be all that remains in the island’s reservoirs by early next year if the public do not do more to economise water use, warned the Minister of Agriculture yesterday.
Minister Fotis Fotiou once again urged the public to economise use of water on the island as Cyprus moves closer and closer to severe drought conditions in the coming months.
Fotiou said the reservoirs were at only 18 per cent capacity, citing low rainfall, the extreme high temperatures, and waste of water by the public as the main causes.
At just 18 per cent capacity, the reservoirs are currently holding only 49.2 million cubic metres (MCM), compared to 98.8 MCM (36.1 per cent capacity) seen at the same time last year.
According to data released by the Water Development Department, the water level at the Kouris reservoir (the biggest on the island) was at just 12.2 per cent of capacity, with 14 MCM at the end of July, less than half of what the reservoir held during the same period in 2006 (35.1 per cent). The water store has a maximum capacity of 115 MCM.
Reserves also fell by nearly half in the second biggest reservoir, at Asprokremmos, with just 13.7 MCM (26.3 per cent) compared to last year’s 23.5 MCM.
At Evretou reservoir, meanwhile, the water level has fallen by 10 per cent from 9.3 to 6.7 MCM (28 per cent).
The 2006-2007 period has shown a water inflow of 38.4 MCM so far, with 10.6 MCM in Kouris, 6 MCM in Asprokremmos and 1.1 MCM in Evretou since October 1, 2006.
Over the last decade, the highest inflow of water to the island’s reservoirs was seen in the 2001-2002 period, with 167.9 MCM, and in 2003-2004 with 150.5 MCM. The lowest took place in the 1996-1997 period with just 24.9 MCM, and in 2005-2006, with 24 MCM.
If no significant rainfall occurs in the next few months, Fotiou said that remaining water reserves would only last until April next year at the very latest.
The warning comes just a day after it was reported that the Water Board might soon be forced to cut off supplies in Paphos if rainfall does not improve this winter.
“In a few months there will be no water left in the reservoirs, only mud,” he warned.
“I don’t know what else to say to the public to communicate the severity of the situation,” said Fotiou, who complained of the continued wastefulness of water shown by the Cyprus public despite the country facing drought in the coming months.
“We are seeing waste in many instances, at home and in watering, as well as in sports facilities like football fields and other sports grounds,” said Fotiou.
He added that, in order to save the island from experiencing its first full drought in years, the public would need to take notice of the government’s warnings.
“Our announcements need to be taken seriously into consideration by the public, and measures to conserve water implemented immediately,” said Fotiou.
“There really needs to be more effort from the public in conserving water during this period, if we truly do not want to enter into a period of drought.”
He added that there also needed to be an increase in output of water from desalination units in Larnaca and Dekhelia to combat the island’s dwindling reserves.
