The water situation in Paphos remains particularly worrying despite recent rainfall, according to Marios Chadjikostis, senior technical engineer at the Water Development Department.
Chadjikostis said total inflows into reservoirs across Cyprus reached only 142,000 cubic metres over the past three days. The three main reservoirs in Paphos: Asprokremmos, Kannaviou and Mavrokolympos, received just 62,000 cubic metres, a volume considered extremely low given the extent of rainfall reported in the wider district.
He explained that most precipitation occurred at low altitudes, mainly in urban Paphos and the airport area, rather than in the mountainous catchment basins that feed the reservoirs.
As a result, the city saw intense flooding, with streets turning into rivers, yet the water storage levels remained largely unaffected. Compared with the same period last year, the situation is significantly worse, Chadjikostis added.
At this time in 2024, Paphos reservoirs held 21.2 million cubic metres of water, or 29.6 percent of capacity. Today, they hold only 8.4 percent.
Regarding supply, he noted that drinking water needs are met through desalination. Irrigation, however, is expected to face serious pressure for another year based on current data.
Chadjikostis urged the public not to be complacent due to the first rains and to continue conserving water. Rational use of the island’s limited water resources, he stressed, must remain a collective priority regardless of weather conditions.