‘Water development department has failed to tackle water scarcity’

The water development department has failed to implement proper plans to tackle water scarcity in the Larnaca district, Larnaca district governor Angelos Hadjicharalambous said on Wednesday, appealing to residents for cooperation to manage the situation.

“There was no proper planning on the part of the water development department, as a result of which good management is needed so that we can have water in consumers’ homes this summer,” he said.

Hadjicharalambous said that in a recent meeting, the agriculture ministry had informed regional district authority (EOA) presidents that the water resources allocated in 2026 would be 10 per cent lower than in the previous year.

“It is a fact that the situation is not good and we are trying to keep up,” he said, emphasising the need for collective action to ensure sufficient water supply during the summer months.

He announced that the EOA had prepared a set of measures aimed at tackling the issue, including strengthening of efforts to detect water leaks and their immediate repair, replacement of infrastructure in crucial areas and cutting off water supplies to parks and green spaces.

“We will step up our efforts to reduce water losses,” he said.

Furthermore, consumers will be provided special nozzles to be placed on taps, in collaboration with the water development department.

In addition, the agriculture ministry will launch an information campaign to raise awareness and “cultivate consciousness” for saving water.

“With the cooperation of residents, which we consider important, we will manage to save 10 per cent of the water in Larnaca district, so that in the coming months we will not proceed with any cuts,” Hadjicharalambous said.

He warned that the water shortages would primarily affect the agriculture sector, stressing that water scarcity would see farmers face serious problems.

“We [will] give all the available water that we recover from the water treatment at the sewage treatment plant to agriculture and livestock units. This quantity exceeds 4 million cubic metres,” he said.

Hadjicharalambous appealed to the agriculture ministry and the water development department join forces to provide the primary sector with the required quantities of water.

Cyprus battle with water scarcity came to a head last year as water reserves stood at only about 20 per cent.

Despite the island experiencing a rainy January, which was anticipated to provide some relief, this only occurred in certain areas. The current water reserves are at just 11.8 per cent of the total 335 million cubic metre capacity.