Nicosia: "Today 80% of drinking water from desalination units reaches around 80%, and with the projects scheduled to be completed by 2027 we will approach 100%," Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou told reporters after visiting the new desalination plant at Limassol port on Monday morning.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Panayiotou, accompanied by the Director of the Water Development Department, Eliana Tofa Christidou, said that the Limassol facility is the fourth desalination unit to come into operation in the last two years. Cyprus "has five desalination units built over 25 years, and within about two years we have put four more into operation," she said, praising what she called "the coordinated, organised and comprehensive policy we have applied regarding water."
She stressed that the strategy has been to "increase the water we obtain from non-conventional sources. Through the four additional desalination units we have built, the one coming to Limassol this autumn and the two we plan to supply water by 2027, we will approach full coverage of our drinking water needs by 2027," Panayiotou said, adding that for the first time the number of desalination plants will reach double digits.
"All these are bridging projects until the completion of four additional permanent desalination units that will begin supplying water across the island from 2029."
Asked whether cuts to municipal water supply can now be ruled out, the Minister replied that when she took office reservoir levels were lower than today's. "Because of the government's comprehensive policy and the superhuman efforts of the Department, - and I thank the officials for this - we have managed not to impose any cuts to water supply," she said.
Panayiotou acknowledged delays in delivering the Limassol port plant, noting that infrastructure projects "require time to be built, to mature, to prepare, and to find suitable sites, which are not many in Cyprus," and adding the government has exhausted available options across the island to meet needs.
Highlighting irrigation as the remaining challenge, she said resolving drinking water shortages will free reservoir supplies for agriculture. She said farmers face water cuts almost annually and only twice since 2004, have they received full allocations. "We are solving the drinking water problem by covering 100% of our needs from desalination so that reservoir water can be provided uninterruptedly to our irrigators and farmers," the minister added.
Minister Panayiotou warned that the task is not instantaneous: "We are building capital in the dams right now through our policy on drinking water and desalination. the irrigation problem is resolved through the resolution of drinking water." She added that the government is supporting irrigators and has increased water allocations this year for permanent crops.
Urging the public to continue saving water, Panayiotou said, "just because it rained this year does not mean we repeat past mistakes" and called for "measured use by households, because the water we waste is the water we deprive our farmers of."
The Ministry is distributing three million water restrictors to households - two million for taps and one million for showers - with rollout already started in Paphos and due to reach all homes by the end of August.
The Minister also inspected a mobile desalination unit near the Garyllis river.