Cyprus dam levels stand at 42.4%, exactly double the figure recorded on the same date last year, the Water Development Department (WDD) has said, following an exceptional spring that pushed inflows well above the previous three years combined.
Marios Hatzikostis, First Technical Engineer at the WDD, said dams are currently holding 123.4 million cubic metres of water, compared with 61.5 million cubic metres at the same point last year. “Compared to last year’s picture, we are much better off. The capacity is at 42.4%, while this time last year it was 21.2% — exactly double the percentage,” he said.
The Kouris dam, the largest in Cyprus, holds the greatest volume at 48 million cubic metres, equivalent to 41.8% of its capacity.
Several small dams are still overflowing. Hatzikostis said the Pomos, Tamassos and Kliros dams remain in marginal overflow and may stop by Monday. The Kalopanayiotis dam is overflowing more than the others and will continue to do so for at least another two to three weeks.
Hatzikostis attributed the strong figures to an unusually wet spring. “It was a good spring for us,” he said, explaining that a shift in rainfall from the winter months to the spring had produced dam overflows in June, which he described as a rare occurrence. “It is not a common phenomenon to have greater inflows in the spring months than in the winter months,” he added.
This year’s total inflow to the dams has reached 112 million cubic metres, compared with a combined 92 million cubic metres across the entire 2023 to 2025 period. “Fortunately, the rainy period arrived, at least in recent months, with increased inflows into the dams. Otherwise we would have had a serious problem,” Hatzikostis said.
The improvement follows a difficult start to the year. Hatzikostis recalled that the situation in early January was “tragic” due to very low inflows, and that a decision had been taken to reduce the water supply. That decision was subsequently revised as dam levels recovered, though the WDD’s appeal to consumers to save water remains in place.
The cautionary note was clear. “Just as the dams have filled this year, they could easily be empty again if it doesn’t rain next year,” Hatzikostis said, adding that three consecutive bad years was a common pattern — as the previous three years had shown.
To guard against a prolonged drought, he said new desalination stations were being developed to cover water supply needs and avoid the worst-case scenario.
(information from CNA)