The utilization of reclaimed water in Cyprus is approaching 90%, ranking the country in the first places within the EU, said the Director General of the General Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, Andreas Grigoriou.
In his greeting, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, at the 3rd Karaolos Festival in Tersefanou, Mr. Grigoriou also stated that the Larnaca Reclaimed Water Use Project, with a total cost of approximately €25.7 million, is also included in this context. Upon completion of the project, an additional quantity of 1.07 million cubic litres will be added to the approximately 3.2 million cubic litres already used annually, substantially enhancing the water balance of the area.
"This is essentially an increase in the available quantities of water by about 33%, which significantly enhances the resilience and irrigation adequacy of the area," said Mr. Grigoriou, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture.
In his greeting, Mr. Grigoriou noted that the snail is inextricably linked to water and the life-giving power of nature. "Therefore, in a place like Cyprus, water is not only about water supply or crops, but about life, biodiversity and the continuity of agricultural activity as a whole," he said. "That is why the management of the water issue is today one of the biggest national priorities. Not only for the water supply of our cities and communities, but for the very ability of Cyprus to continue to produce, cultivate and keep its countryside alive," he added.
He noted that, in the wider context of the national water policy, the utilization of reclaimed water "is one of the most strategic and successful axes of action of the Republic of Cyprus". And it is for this reason that today, through the Water Development Department, recovered water from nine wastewater treatment plants is used for irrigation purposes and enrichment of underground aquifers, with a utilization rate approaching 90%, "ranking our country in the first places within the EU", he said.
In this context, he said, the Larnaca Reclaimed Water Use Project, with a total cost of about €25.7 million, is also included. "It concerns the Tersefanos Dam project, which is located here in your area, and which for years remained a project with difficulties, delays and pending issues that did not allow its completion," he said, adding that this project, "of particular importance for the region, is now entering a steady course of implementation." The necessary infrastructure for the transport and storage of recovered water is progressing, so that the Tersefanou dam can perform its real role: to strengthen the region's resilience against drought and to substantially support the agricultural production of the Larnaca District, he noted.
The utilization of the excess reclaimed water of the winter season, through its storage in the Tersefanos dam, will make it possible to make it available in an organized way for irrigation of agricultural land, he added. With the completion of the project, an additional quantity of 1.07 million cubic litres will be added to the approximately 3.2 million cubic litres that are already used annually, essentially enhancing the water balance of the area, said Mr. Grigoriou. This is essentially an increase in the available quantities of water by about 33%, which significantly enhances the resilience and irrigation adequacy of the area, he noted.
This means, he said, that the Community of Tersefanou, as well as neighbouring agricultural areas such as Dromolaxia, Kiti, Pervolia, Dhekelia, Oroklini, Pyla and Livadia, "will immediately benefit from a more reliable and resilient irrigation system, especially under conditions of prolonged drought".
Despite the challenges faced by the project, the completion of the infrastructure for the storage and transport of the reclaimed water is planned to be completed in about a year, ensuring the full functionality of the system and the maximum possible utilization of a particularly valuable water resource, he added.
In closing, he assured that the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment will continue to support the rural world in every possible way.
