Newsroom
Even after recent showers, water levels in Paphos’ main dams remain dangerously low, officials warn. The combined storage in Asprokremmos, Kanaviou, and Mavrokolymbos dams is just 8.4% of capacity, a steep drop from nearly 30% at the same time last year, according to Marios Chatzikostis, senior engineer at the Department of Water Development.
The problem, Chatzikostis explained, is that most of the rain fell at low elevations, in Paphos city and near the airport, rather than in the mountainous areas that feed the dams. That caused flash flooding in urban areas but did little to boost reservoir levels. Across the island, dam inflows reached only 142,000 cubic meters over the past three days, with just 62,000 cubic meters reaching Paphos’ three dams, far below what would be expected given recent rainfall.
While the drinking water supply remains secure thanks to desalination, irrigation is expected to be hit hard for another year. Officials are urging residents to continue saving water, stressing that careful water use should be a shared responsibility, rain or shine.
