It cannot be stressed enough though, that desalination does not come without a cost. It is about 5 times more expensive than reservoir water, so it should not be taken for granted.

Now, if weather cycles in Cyprus continue as they have done historically, this winter should be very wet. The data indicates huge intake of water every seven years, the last being 2018 / 2019.

In which case, the problem will go away, for a couple of years at least.

However, it is worth noting that as recently as 2022 the Asprokremmos was full. So we cannot rely on the reservoirs keeping us good for the next 7 years, especially if they have so much mud in them.

And what if we don't get the hoped-for water? As of today, the Asprokremmos is just over 15% full. We have seen it lower than that, but only once. A year ago it was 40% full. Usage like that with current annual rainfall levels is mathematically unsustainable.

So pray for rain.

This is the view upstream of the reservoir. You can see a narrow green strip surrounding the stream that winds from the hills of Polemi and Stroumbi down to the reservoir.