Cyprus dam levels remain low despite rainfall

Dams across Cyprus are currently 21 per cent full, the Water Development Department (WDD) said on Monday, although they reiterated that reserves remain low despite recent rainfall.

Senior WDD technical engineer Marios Hadjicostis said the island’s reservoirs currently hold 61.15 million cubic metres of water, compared with 73.8 million cubic metres, or 25.4 per cent capacity, at the same time last year.

Inflows into dams have slowed in recent days due to the lack of rainfall in early March.

Hadjicostis stressed that replenishing water reserves depends not only on the amount of rainfall but also on where it occurs.

“Rainfall is not just a number. It must fall in targeted areas,” he said.

He explained that precipitation on the southwestern side of the Troodos mountains is particularly important, as runoff from that region feeds several of the island’s largest reservoirs.

Despite relatively strong rainfall in February, water reserves remain at low levels.

“We are now relying on the last fortnight of March. We want rain on the southwestern side of Troodos so that the water can reach the large dams,” Hadjicostis added.

Recent rainfall has boosted runoff slightly, with around 3.3 million cubic metres flowing into reservoirs over several days.

The increase has raised storage levels modestly.

Since the start of the hydrological year in October, about 36.8 million cubic metres of water have flowed into reservoirs. This is higher than during the previous drought year but still well below normal levels.

Former WDD director Kyriacos Kyrou said the situation could improve if rainfall in March reaches seasonal averages.

“If rainfall in March is normal, overall precipitation this hydrological year could end up close to average,” he said, noting that reservoir storage could potentially reach around 75 million cubic metres, similar to last year.

In the meantime, Cyprus continues to rely heavily on desalination to meet its drinking water needs.

Hadjicostis said desalination plants currently cover around 70 per cent of drinking water demand in districts including Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca.

Across the island, annual water consumption for domestic use, industry and tourism is estimated at about 115 million cubic metres, making desalination crucial to maintaining stable supplies.

While household water supplies remain secure, the outlook for agriculture remains more uncertain.

The main concern is water availability in the southern conveyor system, which supplies irrigation water to the districts of Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Famagusta.

The system, which includes Kouris dam, Cyprus’ largest reservoir, currently holds around 31.6 million cubic metres of water, while officials say about 48 million cubic metres is needed to avoid irrigation cutbacks.

In contrast, reservoirs in Paphos and Polis Chrysochous may be able to meet irrigation needs this year, although only marginally.

“March owes us rain,” Hadjicostis said, expressing hope that low-pressure systems will bring further precipitation and increase inflows into reservoirs.

Even with additional rainfall, Cyprus will remain heavily dependent on desalination and strict water management as the island continues to face the effects of several consecutive years of drought.