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Cyprus’ reservoirs are in much better shape than last year, with water levels now more than double what they were at the same time in 2025, but officials are still warning that the island is far from out of the woods.
According to the Water Development Department, dams across Cyprus are currently 42.4% full, compared with just 21.2% this time last year.
In simple terms, that means the country has gone from a worrying water situation to a more comfortable one, at least for now.
“We are much better compared to last year,” said Marios Hadjicostis, Chief Technical Engineer at the Water Development Department. He added that Cyprus now has about 123.4 million cubic meters of water stored, compared with 61.5 million at the same point last year.
To put that into perspective, the inflow of water into dams has also almost rebounded, reaching 112 million cubic meters this year, compared with 92 million over the 2023–2025 period combined.
The Kouris Dam, the largest in Cyprus and a key water source for much of the island, is currently holding about 48 million cubic meters of water, or just under 42% capacity.
Some smaller dams are doing even better. A few, including those in Pomos, Tamasos and Kliros, are still overflowing, although officials expect that to ease within days. The Kalopanayiotis dam, meanwhile, is expected to continue overflowing for a couple more weeks.
This year’s recovery, officials say, is largely thanks to an unusual weather pattern. Instead of most rainfall coming in winter, a significant amount arrived in spring, helping to refill reservoirs later than usual.
“It is not common to see stronger inflows in spring than in winter,” Hadjicostis noted, describing the shift as a key reason for the improvement.
Just a few months ago, the picture looked very different. At the beginning of the year, water levels were so low that authorities had already moved to restrict supply. That decision has since been revised, thanks to the improved inflows.
But despite the welcome rebound, officials are urging caution rather than celebration.
“We could easily be back to empty dams again if next year is dry,” Hadjicostis warned, pointing out that Cyprus has already gone through several consecutive years of poor rainfall.
In other words, one good year doesn’t erase the risk of another bad one, something Cypriots know all too well after long summers of water restrictions and drought alerts.
That’s also why desalination projects continue to be pushed forward as a long-term safety net, helping reduce dependence on rainfall in a country where water supply is always at the mercy of the weather.
For now, though, the message is mixed: Cyprus is in a better place than last year, but the island’s water story is still very much a question of “when it rains again,” not “if.”
