Filenews 1 December 2025 - by Angelos Nikolaou
An ambitious action plan aimed at the holistic redesign and strengthening of governance in the water sector was prepared by the Department of Water Development (WDD) and is a central intervention of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) to address chronic structural weaknesses and new threats.
The water resources management sector faces critical challenges that require immediate and coordinated action:
Increasing Demand: The economic growth of recent years has led to an increase in demand for water, putting a strain on already strained resources.
Impacts of Climate Change: Cyprus is affected by prolonged periods of drought and at the same time by frequent and intense floods, phenomena that disrupt the balance of water bodies.
Infrastructure: Outdated and inadequate infrastructure cannot meet modern needs and ensure efficient water use.
Vulnerability: The water sector is exposed to threats such as natural disasters, cyberattacks, and contamination/pollution from harmful agents.
Local Government Reform: The creation of the new Provincial Self-Government Organizations (EOAs) imposes the redistribution of responsibilities and responsibilities and requires new coordination mechanisms.
Addressing weaknesses requires actions to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the water management sector, which needs to be improved in the following sub-areas: (a) Achieving an optimal form of governance in the water sector. b) Optimization of the WDD organizational chart.
Directive 2020/2184 on the quality of water intended for human consumption has been in force since 16/12/2020 and has been harmonized with the National Law with the Law providing for the quality of water intended for human consumption (Law 45(I)/2013), which has been in force since July 2023. The key benefits of the Directive are enhanced protection, health and improved risk management, public access to up-to-date information and increased resilience of water supply systems.
The Competent Authority for the implementation of the Law is the Department of Medical and Public Health Services of the Ministry of Health, while for the requirements of the Directive, the establishment of the "Water Safety Council for Human Consumption" is expected, based on Law 46(I)/2023 (Article 4), which consists of a representative of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Interior, the Department of Medical Services and Public Health Services, the Water Development Department, the General Chemical State Laboratory, the Union of Cyprus Communities and every District Local Government Organization. The Water Safety Council will undertake, among other things, the establishment of procedures for coordination and exchange of information between the relevant departments, services and water supply bodies, the submission of recommendations to the Minister of Health for individual actions, the preparation of guidelines and information material for the implementation of the Law and the preparation of relevant reports.
Key actions for the implementation of the Directive
1) Determination of water leakage levels from the networks of water supply bodies
The assessment of water leakage levels and the possibility of improvements in reducing water leakages should be carried out using the Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI) assessment method or other appropriate methodology, taking into account the relevant health, environmental, technical and economic aspects, and should cover at least water operators providing at least 10 000 m3 per day or serving at least 50 000 people. The assessment should cover at least the water supply networks of the Water Development Department and the Provincial Local Government Organizations. The Water Development Department is responsible, under the Legislation, for carrying out the assessment, the results of which must be communicated to the EU by 12/01/2026.
2) Carrying out risk assessment and management for the river basins related to water abstraction points
By 12/07/2027, the WDD is expected to carry out the risk assessment and risk management for the river basins concerning water abstraction points. This action must be repeated at least every six years.
3) Carrying out risk assessment and risk management for water supply systems
Until 12/01/2029, a risk assessment and risk management is required for each water supply system that includes the water abstraction, treatment, storage and distribution of water for human consumption up to the point of supply carried out by the water supply operators (i.e. the WDD, the NSAIDs and the Community Councils outside the EDA). This action must be repeated at least every six years.
(4) Carrying out a risk assessment of household distribution systems
Until 12/01/2029, the risk assessment for residential distribution systems is required, for which the Department of Medical Services and Public Health Services is responsible. This action must be repeated at least every six years.
(5) Establishment of appropriate monitoring programmes
The monitoring programs are specific for each water supply system, taking into account the results of the risk assessment of the river basins for water abstraction points and the water supply systems and are carried out by the Water Supply Bodies (WDD, EOA, Communities).
6) Information to the public
The public to which water for human consumption is supplied must receive the following information regularly and at least once a year, without having to request it, and in the most appropriate and accessible form, (together with their bill or by digital means, such as smart applications):
• Information on the quality of water for human consumption including indicative parameters
• The price of water supplied for human consumption per liter and per cubic meter
• The volume of water consumed by human consumption by the household, at least per year or per billing period, together with the annual trends for household consumption, where technically feasible and only if this information is available to the water supply operator
• Comparison of the annual water consumption of the household with the average consumption of the households
• Link to the website containing the information
7) Create and update dataset
The Water Safety Council for Human Consumption is responsible together with the competent bodies for the creation and updating of a dataset with information on:
• The percentage of the population that has access to water for human consumption and the measures to improve access to water for human consumption and promote its use. This data must be available by 12/01/2029 and updated every six years.
• The risk assessment and risk management of the river basins for water abstraction points. This information must be available by 12/01/2027 and updated every six years.
• The monitoring results in cases of exceeding the parametric values and information on the remedial actions taken, updated on an annual basis
• Incidents involving water for human consumption that caused a potential risk to human health that lasted more than 10 consecutive days and affected at least 1,000 people, together with the causes of these incidents and remedial actions, which must be updated annually
• The derogations granted, updated on an annual basis
8) Quality assurance of water for human consumption, with regard to the parametric values set out in Part B of the First Annex for bisphenol-A, chlorates, chlorites, halogenoacetic acids, microcystine-LR, total PFAS, sum of PFAS and uranium.
By 12/01/2026, the necessary measures should be taken by the WDD and water bodies to ensure that the quality of water for human consumption meets the parametric values set out in Annex I, Part B (of the Law) for bisphenol-A, chlorates, chlorites, halonoacetic acids, microcystine-LR, total PFAS, sum of PFAS and uranium.
