Low water levels in dams around the island

Water levels of in the vast majority of the islands’ dams are well below half of their capacity, it emerged on Monday.

Low rainfall last year coupled with a prolonged dry season in the first two winter months, have resulted in an average water occupancy of 45.7 per cent, compared with 67.2 per cent in the same period in 2023.

The lowest water levels are in the Argaka dam, with water volume currently standing at a mere 19.9 per cent of capacity, where a year ago it stood at 43.1 per cent.

The Polemidia dam is also low, at 33.2 per cent (from 49.8 per cent last year), while the Mavrokolymbos dam stands at 39.6 per cent (49.8 per cent last year).

Only Kalopanayiotis dam is at maximum capacity, 100 per cent full, followed by the Arminou dam at 81.9 per cent.

According to data from the Department of Water Development, the total capacity of all dams is 290 million m3, while at the moment the dams contain less than half this, 133 mln m3.

Kouris, the largest dam in Cyprus, currently stands more than half empty containing 45.1 mln m3 of a potential 115 mln, 39.3 per cent of its capacity. A year ago, the water stood at 62.4 per cent.

Altogether, the dams supplying the southern part of the island (Kouris, Kalavasos, Lefkara, Dipotamos, Germasogeia, Arminou, Polemidia and Achna) with a total capacity of 189.4 mln m3, are at 41.8 per cent, where last year they stood at 63.9 per cent.

The Paphos dams (Asprokremmos, Kannaviou and Mavrokolymbos) with total capacity of 71.7 mln m3 are little over half full, at 54.8 per cent, where during the same period last year, they were over three quarters full, at 75.6 per cent of capacity.

The Chrysochou area dams (Evretou, Argaka, Pomos and Agia Marina) with a total capacity of 26.1 mln m3, stand just shy of half full, at 48.9 per cent. Last year they stood at 66.8 per cent.

The Nicosia dams (Byzakia, Xyliatos and Kalopanayiotis), with a capacity of 3.4 mln m3, are at 49.4 per cent compared to 72.6 per cent last year.

The largest inflow so far this year has been in January, usually by far the rainiest month, with 3.66 mln m3; followed by December, with 2.34 mln m3.

The situation is worsened by last water year’s low precipitation which amounted to only 48.7 mln m3.