Reservoirs remain critical at 13.8 per cent full

Water reserves in Cyprus’ reservoirs stood at just 13.8 per cent of total capacity on Wednesday, almost half the level recorded at the same time last year.

Data from the water development department (WDD) show that reservoirs currently hold about 40 million cubic metres of water, compared with more than 75 million cubic metres in February last year.

The decline persists despite recent rainfall, which has contributed only marginal inflows to the island’s storage system.

The country’s largest reservoir, Kouris, remains at around one eighth of its capacity, while Asprokremmos, the second largest, shows a similarly low level.

Evretou reservoir fares slightly better but remains well below last year’s levels.

The most acute shortages are recorded in reservoirs supplying the southern pipeline, where water levels are in the low single digits, raising concerns over resilience as the dry season approaches.

A senior WDD official warned earlier this week that the situation is among the worst on record.

“Last year, when storage was at 26 per cent, we still said it was low,” Marios Hadjicostis said.

“This year, we will not even reach that level. It is impossible.”

Cyprus is now in its fourth consecutive year of drought, and officials caution that little additional water is expected to flow into dams beyond February.

From March onwards, inflows typically decline sharply, leaving reservoirs increasingly dependent on desalination and strict water management measures.