The rainfall of the past three days was being beneficial for local water reserves, however, more rain is needed to ensure that Cyprus is navigating its way out of the drought period, the Water Development Department (WDD) said on Monday.
WDD senior officer Yianna Economidou said that Cyprus’ dams currently hold 34 million cubic metres of water, corresponding to just 11.8 per cent of their total capacity of 335 million cubic metres.
Rainfall over the past three days added 2.4 million cubic metres to the reservoirs, half of which was collected in dams in the Paphos district.
Economiou asserted that further substantial precipitation was needed to fill up the reservoirs, emphasising that the land must first be thoroughly saturated before the water could reach the dams.
She stressed that rainwater flowing into the sea should not be viewed as a loss, as it replenishes underground aquifers, contributes to the overall water balance and acts as a natural defence against brackish water.
At the same time, Economidou said the WDD has more than €200 million worth of water management projects under way to improve efficiency and assess the expansion of spillways and dams.
The projects include pipeline construction, water treatment facilities and irrigation works.
Economidou explained that dams continue to supply drinking water, while irrigation relies on recycled water and boreholes, which also help offset evaporation during the hot summer months. She added that additional wells are currently being drilled in a joint effort with the geological survey department.