Every day, 60,000 cubic metres of desalinated water are re-processed instead of reaching the general water supply, according to Akis Kikas from the Audit Office. This revelation was shared during a meeting with MPs on Thursday, highlighting significant inefficiencies in Cyprus’s water management.
At the facilities of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus in Vasiliko, the desalination process generates a substantial amount of water. However, due to inadequate pipeline infrastructure, this water is diverted to the southern conveyor, the island’s largest water development initiative.
The southern conveyor is designed to collect excess water from the southwest of Cyprus, transferring it to regions in need for irrigation and domestic use. Unfortunately, this diversion leads to the desalinated water mixing with dirt, necessitating further cleaning at a refinery in Tersefanou. As a result, consumers end up paying twice for the same water.
Kikas noted that this has been an ongoing practice for the past decade, although he clarified that only a small percentage of the total desalinated water is affected by the pipeline issues. The Audit Office is currently preparing a report on the management of the island’s water resources, with publication expected by the end of the month.
During the same meeting, Kikas raised concerns about 15 privately-owned dams that fail to meet legal safety standards. Among the most hazardous are the dams at Tamasos, Yermasoyia, and Polemidia. The House audit committee gathered to address the maintenance of these dams, with MPs expressing alarm over the shortage of qualified engineers available for necessary repairs.
Adding to the urgency of the situation, parliamentarians pointed out the critically low water levels in the dams amid ongoing drought conditions. The Kouris dam, the largest on the island, is currently at just 12 per cent of its capacity, while Asprokremmos and Evretou dams sit at 11.5 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively.
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