Cyprus faces summer water shortage due to lack of rain

[memory man]

The lack of water is going to affect all of us this summer, and people need to be extremely careful with water use to avoid cuts in the summer, the water development department (WDD) announced on Thursday.
WDD official Fedros Roussis said that despite some rain only 150,000 cubic metres of water reached reservoirs in the past 24 hours, and little more is expected at present.
“One night of rain is not going to make any difference to the situation,” he said, “We need a dramatic change in the next few weeks, and we don’t know if that will happen.”
Although decisions on water cuts will, like every other year, be taken in March, the influx into reservoirs is not promising.
Overall, by Thursday reservoirs contained 13.1 per cent of capacity compared with 21.8 per cent per cent at the same time last year. Kouris, the biggest of the reservoirs, is holding 7.5 per cent of its water capacity, while the percentage was 12.9 per cent a year ago.
Figures for the second biggest reservoir, Kalavasos, show it is filled to just 3.8 per cent of capacity compared with 16.1 per cent at the same time last year.
December, January and February are usually the rainy months but, according to the met office, December disappointed with only a third of normal rainfall.
The general population will be mainly covered by desalination plants, but farmers are likely to suffer, Roussis said.
The planned Paphos desalination plant will be of no help this year. According to the official, the contract for its construction will be signed by the end of January, and after that it will take about 18 months to get it running.
Only one night of rain is expected for this week, on Thursday night, according to the met office.
Temperatures are going to drop to 8C inland, 12C in coastal areas and a little below zero in the higher mountains.
The rains will cease early on Friday.
Saturday will be cloudy but again not rainy, and on Sunday and Monday it is going to be mostly sunny. Temperatures will gradually rise.

http://cyprus-mail.com/2018/01/04/cypru ... lack-rain/

[cyprusmax47]

Finally also the Authorities wake up ? By the way the second largest dam in Cyprus is our Paphos Asprokremnos and not the Kalavasos dam mentioned in the article !!
My readings for the whole of Dec were only 22mm - exactly the same we had last night!!
Max

[Jimgym]

A worrying article. Hopefully things will improve, however it won't stop people washing the pavements and gravel outside their properties with a hosepipe each day!

[Dominic]

Or topping up their pools...

[exodus]

Or topping up their pools...

Filling them up even.
Don't they have inspectors here to enforce use of water rules?
Amos.

[Dominic]

You would need an awful lot of inspectors.

[exodus]

You would need an awful lot of inspectors.

Fair point.
OK then, why not have a hotline phone number we could report the water rule-breakers to?
Something is surely needed to stop these people breaking the rules and wasting our valuable water supplies.
Just a thought.
Amos.

[ApusApus]

There is no solution in the short term, if you want to conserve water resources then to stop people washing down their pavements you have to stop people filling up their swimming pools ............ it'll never happen!

Let's hope that we get sufficient rain this month & in February to cover our needs otherwise water will be on one day & off the next!


Shane

[exodus]

There is no solution in the short term, if you want to conserve water resources then to stop people washing down their pavements you have to stop people filling up their swimming pools ............ it'll never happen!

Let's hope that we get sufficient rain this month & in February to cover our needs otherwise water will be on one day & off the next!


Shane

So the options are water shortages/cuts OR enforcement, but you are all saying enforcement is either not practical or you don't want to live in a community where "snitching" is OK.
I don't want to be short of water like a third world country!
Regards swimming pools I would do what I have seen done in some Caribbean countries and for the same reason: SALT WATER ONLY.
Don't like it? Then don't have a swimming pool.
Sorry, but I feel so strongly about this - when we moved here a year ago there was no suggestion I came across that a selfish few would hold the majority effectively to ransom in such a way.
Amos.

[Cactuslil]

I don’t think you’ll change the Cypriot love of hose pipes. Last time we had a shortage they were still hosing the pavements & gardens, far easier than using a broom & watering can.

[exodus]

I don’t think you’ll change the Cypriot love of hose pipes. Last time we had a shortage they were still hosing the pavements & gardens, far easier than using a broom & watering can.

Believe me if someone tried that in Israel they would face a VERY heavy fine. BTW Israel seems able to have the necessary enforcement officers, so why cannot Cyprus?
The whole issue is very sad.
Amos.

[WHL]

People do grass up others to the water board.....Some years ago we had a problem with the inside plumbing, this was in the height of summer, we had the kids friends over from England and everyone needed a shower..luckily we have a shower outside in the drive, so everyone took a shower, someone saw the water going down the road and grassed us up, a guy from the water board turns up and gets his book out to write us out a ticket,,It was about a 600 fine,,, for wait for it washing the car?
I tried to explain that it wasn't illegal to take a shower, and asked him to come inside to see that no water was coming out of the taps, he wasnt the brightest bless him, even pointing out the dirty cars in the drive, luckily our Cypriot neighbor herd the arguing and come out and put him straight.... the only way this jobs worth would leave was to give us a warning ticket and not a fine...so Amos if you report it they will come out.

[ApusApus]

Believe me if someone tried that in Israel they would face a VERY heavy fine. BTW Israel seems able to have the necessary enforcement officers, so why cannot Cyprus?
The whole issue is very sad.
Amos.

Don't worry, Paphos can always tanker water in from Greece like they did before!!!


Shane

[Uncle D]

Instead of fining for hosepipe use, the authorities should charge excessive amounts of money for excessive amounts of water usage.

[exodus]

Instead of fining for hosepipe use, the authorities should charge excessive amounts of money for excessive amounts of water usage.

Brilliant suggestion.
Amos.

[Uncle D]

Yes Lloyd that is unfortunate, but I expect that is because you and your neighbours didnt know about the leak, didnt keep an eye on the meter, or even bills, if they dont live here.
People should me more vigilant with these meters as leaks are commonplace.

Our Municipality charges are
First 20 tonnes 0.92 per tonne
21-50 tonnes 1.07 per tonne
51 to 70 tonnes 1.77 per tonne
71 tonnes and over 2.07 per tonne

Our (2 people) water bill is usually around €15 or 15 tonne bi monthly.
In times of drought times I wouldn't mind if they doubled that to prevent misuse

[Dominic]

We turned off the irrigation system at our property. Before we did, I tested each individual component, just so I could document what did what. As it normally ran at night, it wasn't something I paid much attention to. It was bizarre testing each component pipe. The amount of holes was scary. Rather than drip irrigation, there would be the occasional fountain shooting out at random.

If you have an irrigation system, you should:

A. test the individual components for leaks.
B. find out how much water you use on average, when there is no irrigation system running.
C. find out how much water the irrigation system uses.
D. pay attention to your meter. With the help of the information gleaned in B and C, you should soon be able to spot a problem.

[ApusApus]

I know Flossie, I was being facetious!


Shane

[WHL]

Believe me if someone tried that in Israel they would face a VERY heavy fine. BTW Israel seems able to have the necessary enforcement officers, so why cannot Cyprus?
The whole issue is very sad.
Amos.

Don't worry, Paphos can always tanker water in from Greece like they did before!!!


Shane

But it sat in the tankers at the port for so long it went 'off' and had to be dumped!!

It was not Tankers, it was only one which sat for two weeks and was not suitable to be put into the system, it was discharged on land where it added to the water table , then used for farming....later delivery's by tanker were successful.

[galexinda]

You can check the amount of water in the reservoirs here:

http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/wdd/Wdd.nsf/r ... ment&print