Cyprus minister calls for water saving, despite rainfall

Despite recent rainfall, people need to continue to be prudent with the use of water, as levels at dams are still well behind last year’s, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sophocles Aletraris has said.
Aletraris, said that “we have had significant amounts of rainfall and significant flow of water (in the dams) but I must say that we are well behind last year’s levels and people ought to continue to be prudent with the use of water”.
Thankfully, he added, the construction of new desalination units is underway, so we will not have any water cuts again.
Data from the Water Development Department shows that water levels at dams are currently at 130.1 mln cubic metres, or 44.7% of the total capacity, while the level stood at 48% this time last year.
Asked when the new desalination units will be ready, Aletraris said that there are two units under construction. The desalination unit being built in Episkopi, near Limassol, is due to be ready by May and another one at Vassiliko is expected to be ready by the end of 2012.
Water rationing is a regular phenomenon in Cyprus, especially in the summer months and up to the rain season that starts after October. However, rationing water when Cyprus hosts the EU Presidency and welcomes hundreds of officials could seem embarrassing for the Christofias administration.