Pafos Press 24 August 2024
At 95.9 million cubic meters (ECM), i.e. 33%, the total amount of water stored in the dams according to the latest update of the Status of Dams Fullness, dated August 21, 2024. Last year's corresponding fullness amounted to 163,192 ECM (56.1% ), as the Senior Executive Engineer of the Water Development Department, Elena Foinikaridou Stylianou, stated to the Cyprus News Agency (CYPE), noting that the total water supply needs during the summer months this year are slightly increased compared to the corresponding last years.
Invited by the KYPE to comment on the state of the dams' fullness, Ms. Foinikaridou explained that the total stored quantity in the dams of the Government Water Works (KYE) in the Unified Plan of the Southern Pipeline amounts to 57.9 ECM (30.6%) while in the corresponding year last year it was at 99.4 ECM (52.5%), in the Paphos KYE it amounts to 27.9 ECM (38.9%) while in the corresponding year last year it was at 46.4 ECM (64.7%), in the KYE Chrysochous amounts to 9.3 ECM (35.6%), while for 2023 it was at 15.1 ECM (57.9%) and in the KYE of Nicosia District it amounts to 0.7 ECM (20.2%) compared to 2.2 ECM (63.9%) last year.
Asked in what state the irrigation and water supply quantities are today, Ms. Foinikaridou replied that based on the Water Allocation Scenario (WAS) the approved amount of irrigation water amounts to 39.7 Million Cubic Meters (MCU) of water, and until the end of July 2024 23.3 ECM of water have been consumed. He indicated that the coverage of irrigation needs is largely covered by the stored amounts of water in the dams, but also by reclaimed water after tertiary treatment of urban sewage.
Mrs. Foinikaridou added that in terms of water supply, the 5 Pangypria Desalination Units continue to operate at full production for more than 1.5 years, noting that the full production of the Desalination Units creates reduced needs for purification from the water reserves of the dams.
She pointed out that the Water Allocation Scenario approved by the Council of Ministers on April 3, 2024 determines the quantities that can be used for irrigation and water supply purposes in the current year in all Government Water Projects and is drawn up based on the Drought Management Plans, which also determine the permitted water withdrawal limits from the dams, based on their stored quantity. "Strict adherence to the SSN is the basic tool for rational management of available water quantities by the Water Development Department," she said.
She also added that according to the data, the total consumption of irrigation water up to the first months of 2024 amounts to 23.3 ECM of water in all Government Water Projects, compared to 22.5 ECM in 2023, pointing out that the consumptions to date show an increase of 3.5% compared to the corresponding last year.
However, she continued, due to the water cuts that began to be imposed on the supply of irrigation water since last May, it is expected that the subsequent consumption will be significantly reduced so that at the end of the year, the SNR will be strictly observed. She also said that autumn seasonal crops are expected to be significantly reduced, while the supply of water to permanent crops and greenhouses has been greatly reduced.
She noted that in relation to the consumption of water for water supply, the total needs during the summer months this year are slightly increased compared to the corresponding ones last year. This, she continued, may be due to various reasons such as population growth, the increase in tourist flows from abroad, the decrease in tourist flows from locals to abroad, the increase in temperature, etc.
In addition, she pointed out that during dry periods there is a decrease in the use of non-governmental wells (due to a decrease in their efficiency) by the Municipalities and Communities and/or by private individuals, which results in a corresponding increase in water intake from the Government Water Supply Systems.
Asked to comment on whether the appeals to save water had an impact, Ms. Foinikaridou noted that "any saving measure or campaign to save water gradually contributes to the creation of personal responsibility in the citizen and the cultivation of water consciousness". She stated that since there are many opportunities to save water in simple everyday ways, it is estimated that the appeals of the Water Development Department as well as the other Agencies had an impact, not necessarily measurable.
Extremely low losses in the water supply network
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In response to a question about whether there are losses from the water supply network, Ms. Foinikaridou stated that with regard to the Governmental Water Supply Systems, i.e. the central drainage pipes (external aqueducts) which are under the responsibility of the Water Development Department, the losses presented in them are at extremely low levels ranging from 1 to 3%.
She added that losses occur in distribution networks (internal aqueducts) that are under the responsibility of operation and maintenance of Municipalities, Communities and District Self-Government Organizations.
She also indicated that the Department of Water Development, aiming to increase the reliability of the water infrastructure, but also to cover the increased demand, plans / implements, through the execution of projects - the costs of which are covered by the State Budget and/or co-financed by European Programs (such as the Cohesion Fund, the Recovery & Resilience Plan, etc.) – replacement projects for aging mains as well as construction of new water infrastructure such as (reservoirs, pumping stations, pipelines, etc.).
At the end of 2024 the increase of the environmental and resource fee
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Asked if there might be a revision in water prices, Ms. Foinikaridou said that in the context of the Green Tax Reform which is included in the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan, a special study has been prepared by foreign experts, which includes recommendations to address the challenges faced by Cyprus and its compliance with the country-specific recommendations of the European Commission.
She added that in this context the increase of the environmental and resource fee is planned, which is expected to be implemented by the end of the year.
"The goal of the Green Tax Reform in the field of water resources is to make the general public aware of the rational management of water," she noted.
